THE 

PSTCHOLOGY 
AND  TRAINING 

OF  THE 

HORSE 


COUNT  EUGENIO 
MARTINENGO 

CESARESCO 


H- 


y 


JOHNA.SEAVERNS 


9090   013   409   426 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  Medicine 
Cummings  School  of  Veterinary  iVledicine  at 
Tutts  University 
200  Weslbcro  Road 
Noith  Grafton,  MA  01536 


\ 


r*»" 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  AM)  TRAINING 
OF  THE  HORSE. 


THE 


PSYCHOLOGY  AND  TRAINING 


OF 


THE  HORSE 


BY 


COUNT  EUGENIC  MARTINENGO  CESARESCO 


ifr 


NEW    YORK 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER»S  SONS 

T.    FISHER    UNWIN 

ADELPHI  TERRACE 
MCMVI 


en- 


All  rights  reserved. 

Printca  in  Hal). 


Like  all  other  animals  the  horse  is  composed  of 
a  machine  and  of  a  mind  irhich  sets  the  machine 
in  motion.  People  who  manage  horses  usiiallij  give 
little  importance  to  the  mind.  But  the  mind  is  most 
important  as  to  command  the  machine  we  must  first 
command  the  mind. 

Some  ohservations  on  this  suhject  mag  he  ttseful 
to  those  who  have  to  do  with  horses.  I  have  added 
a  few  remarJi's  on  bridling,  on  the  use  of  the  curb -hit 
and  on  turning. 

iSald, 

La  go  di  Garda. 
Jime,  1906. 


CONTEXTS 


The  Mind  of  the  horse. 


Intelligence  —  Imagination  —  memory 

Excitability  to  motion  peculiar   to   the  horse 

Senses,  sensitiveness,  sensations      .... 

Instincts,  inclinations,  feelings        .... 

Ideas  and  feelings.  —  Their  (irigin.  —  Ideas  and 
leelings  which  we  may  call  forth  in  the  horse 

Will,  actions:  motives  of  actions.  How  we  can  in- 
tiuence  his  will  so  as  to  secure  the  actions 
we  desire      ....... 

Signs  by  which  he  shows  his  ideas,  his  feelings 
and  his  intentions         ..... 

Signs  of  a  desire  to  ]terf(n'm  certain  movements 
inferred  from  his  attitude  and  the  positions 
he  assumes  ...... 

His  attention  is  directed  to  only  one  thing  at  a 
time      ........ 

Things  he  understands  naturally  and  which  have 
influence  upon  him       .  . 


P(«je 

1 

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6 

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8 

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lli 

20 


25 


31 

3^ 

39 
40 


VllI 


Effect  of  good  treatment  on  his  nature 

Effect  of  punishment       ...... 

How  to  act  on  his  mind  and  feelings    . 

Individual  qualities  and  character 

Things  that  somewhat  modify  his  mental  qualities 
and  character        ...... 

Certain  mental  qualities  are  generally  coupled  with 
certain  physical  ones    ..... 

Attacks  of  the  horse  against  the  man  who  grooms 
him.  —  Causes.  —  How  they  may  be  over- 
come    ........ 

Oppositions  and  reactions  against  man  and  rider; 
causes;  how  they  may  be  overcome    . 

Special  aptitudes     .         .         .         .         .         . 

Importance  of  a  good  disposition  and  good  mental 
qualities  in  the  horse  tor  his  instruction 
and  his  serviceableness         .... 


Page 

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46 

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47 

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48 

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56 
57 

58 

61 
64 

64 


How  the  horse  I  earns  and  how  he 
must  he  tauyht. 


Remark  ... 

How  the  horse  learns     . 

How  he  remembers 

How  he  judges 

Good  and  bad  associations 

Associations  which  increase 
which  diminish  it 


fear   and   associations 


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73 

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78 

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80 

s 

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82 

ilL 


Associations  calculated  to  show  the  horse  our  su- 
periority and  to  teach  him  obedience,  and 
associations  which  make  the  horse  under- 
stand his  strength  and  teach  him  disobe- 
dience   i'ag*^     83 

We  must  avoid  giving"  the  horse  associations  c«m- 
trary  to  our  puriwse  of  controlling  him,  i.  c. 
giving  him  associations  which  make  him 
understand  that  he  is  stronger  than  we  are, 
that  he  can  do  as  he  wishes  in  opposition 
to  our  will,  and  which  teach  him  disobe- 
dience ........       85 

He    must    be    taught    in    the    same    way   that   he 

learns  of  himself  .         .         .         .         .      »       97 

The  means  of  teaching  are    the   various    aids    and 

punishments  .         .         .         •         •         .       »       98 

Punishments  and  caresses  in  teaching   ...»     100 

Way  of  making  the  horse  understand  that  lie  is 
desired  to  perform  or  not  to  perform  an 
action  and  inducing  him  to  i»erform  or  not 
to  perform  it.  Associations  of  pleasure  or 
of  approval  and  associations  of  pain  or  di- 
sapproval     .         .  .         .         .         .         .       »     102 

Xecessary  conditions  in  order  that  the  horse  may 

learn     .........     107 

Attention         .         .         .         .         .         •         .         .      »     108 

Confidence       .........     109 

Obedience        .........     Ill 

The  associations  of  pleasvire  or  approval  should 
follow  immediately  on  the  action  performed 
and  required  to  be  performed,  and  the  asso- 


i 


ciations  of  pain  or  disapproval  should  follow 

immediately   on   the   action    performed    and  ^ 

not  required Page  114  | 

The  associations  which  are  given  him  for  the  pur- 
pose of  teaching  the  actions  we  desire  to 
teach  him  to  perform  should  be  of  things 
that  his  intelligence  can  understand,  in  the 
way  he  can  understand  them,  and  of  things 
suited  to  give  rise  to  the  ideas  of  the  actions 
we  desire  to  teach  him  to  perform,  to  make 
him  understand  what  we  wish  him  to  do. 
The  same  associations  should  always  be  used 
to  indicate  the  same  actions,  and  the  mo- 
vements it  is  desired  to  teach  him  should 
be  those  which  his  body  can  make,  and  for 
the  making  of  which  it  has  been   prepared      »     116 

All  that  is  taught  him  should  be  taught  a  little 
at  a  time  by  gradation  and  after  prepara- 
tion of  his  body.  These  things  are  also  ne- 
cessary because  their  absence  may  cause 
oppositions  and  reactions     .         .         .         .       »     118 

Actions,  aids,  punishments,  and  associations  which 
the  horse  understands  naturally,  with  which 
may  be  associated  the  actions  it  is  desired 
to  teach  him  to  perform,  and  by  which  these 
may  be  taught  him      ......     124 

Thino-s  and  actions  which  the  horse  does  not    un- 

IT* 

derstand  naturally,  but  which  he  learns  im- 
medhitely  by  means  of  associations  with  the 
things  which  he  understands,  and  which  it 
is  necessary  to  teach  him,  owing  to  their 
being  a  matter  of  prime  necessity  with  a 
view  to  his  instruction         .         .         .         .       »     127 


XI 


The  aifls  of  the  hand,  of  the  weight  of  the  body 
of  the  rider  and  other  aids  are  mechanical 
and  after  they  have  been  learnt  become 
mental  or  conventional  aids  .  .         .  Page  130 

Associations  of  place  and.  associations   of  time    or 

succession     .         .         .         .         .         •         .      »     134 

Way  of  teaching'     . »     140 

Teaching-  the  horse  to  advance  at    a    given   sound 

of  the  voice  .         .         .         .         .         •      »     145 

Teaching  the  horse  to  stop  and  remain  still  at 
another  given  sound  of  the  voice  and  to  go 
backwards    .         .  .  .  .  .  .      »     149 

Wav  of  teaching  him  to  stand  still  alone      .  .       »     152 

Substitution  of  other  aids  or  other  signals  for  those 
by  which  the  horse  has  learnt  to  ])erform 
the  actions  taught        ......     155 

It  is  not  true  that  the  horse  guesses  what  it  is 
desired  to  make  him  do  when  he  is  led  with 
the  lounge  or  ridden    ......     159 

Things  which  the  horse  is  taught    for    spectacular 

])urposes        .  .  .  .         .         .         .       »     162 

Teaching  the  horse  to  be  afraid  of  a  man  dressed 
in  red,  not  to  be  afraid  of  a  man  dressed  in 
white,  to  be  afraid  of  a  given  object  or  of 
a  given  place       ...... 

Teaching  him  to  sei/e  with  the  teeth    . 

Teaching  him  to  raise  his  legs  alternately  and 
knock  at  the  door         ..... 

Teaching  him  to  do  the  Spanish  walk  . 

Imitation  is  a  means  of  teaching   .... 


» 

1G8 

» 

170 

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173 

» 

178 

» 

181 

xn 


He  should  not  be  allowed  to  perform  actions  with 
an  idea  and  in  a  manner  contrary  to  the  idea 
of  obedience  ......  Page  183 

Teaching  him  to  leave  off  doing-  some  action  which 

is  not  desired       .         .         .         .         •         .      »     183 


Necessity  of  giving  the  horse  the  habit  of  perform- 
ing the  actions  taught  him  .  . 

Eepetition  is  necessary  with  a  view  to  making  him 
learn,  making  him  remember  and  to  main- 
tain facility  of  execution     .... 

How  to  make  the  horse  forget  the  actions  taught 
by  bad  associations      ..... 


185 


»     186 


188 


Sow  the  horse  is  taught  obedience. 


What    is    obedience.    Whence   it    comes.    —    Obe 
dience  by  persuasion    .... 

Necessity  that  obedience  be  by  persuasion  and  by 
habit    ....... 

By  what  means  the  horse  is  taught  obedience 

Way  of  teaching  him  confidence    . 

Way  of  vShowing  the  horse  our  superiority     . 

Special  means  of  showing  the  horse  our  superiority 
and  how  to  employ  them     . 

Importance  of  a  good  disposition  for  obedience 

Various  ways  of  proceeding  in  teaching  obedience, 
according  to  the  various  natures   of  horses 

How  to  deal    with   the    oppositions    and   reactions 


193 


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196 

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198 

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201 

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202 

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204 

» 

208 

210 


xin 


made  by  the  horse  \vhen  being  taught  con- 
fidence, obedience  and  our  superiority.  How 
they  can  be  overcome  ....  Paye  213 

Causes  of  oppositions  and  reactions  while  he  is 
being  taught  conti<lence  and  obedience.  How 
they  may  be  avoided   .         .         .         ".         .      »     216 

He  should  not  be  given  any  occasion  to  lose  obe- 
dience ........     218 

Time  required  for  teaching  the  horse  obedience.  In 
teaching  him  his  mechanism  must  not  be 
spoilt    .........     221 


Fear. 
The  nature  of  fear  in  the  horse  and   how 

it  must  he  dealt  with. 
Hoic  he  can  be  tan<iht  not  to  be  afraid. 


What  is  fear  ..... 

How  fear  arises  in  the  horse 

Signs  of  fear 

Eflects  or  reactions  caused  by  fear 

Tn  Avhicli  horses  fear  is  most  dangerous 

Fear  is  an  evil  which  has  its  useful  side 

Causes  of  fear         .         . 

Circumstances  which  diminish  the  horse's  fear 

Circumstances  which  increase  his  fear   . 

Various  kinds  and  degrees  of  fear 


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A 

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jar 

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234 

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237 

XIV 


We  must  seek  to  dispel  his  fear    ....  Page  240 

How  fear  may  be  removed     ......     241 

Means  of  persuasion        .         .         .         .         .         .      »     242 

On  what  conditions  fear  may  be   removed   by  the 

means  of  persuasion     .         .         .         .         .      »     244 

Mode  of  teaching  the  horse  not  to  be  afraid  of  a 

given  object  .         .         .         .         .         .      »     246 

Teaching  the  horse  not  to  be  afraid  of  an   object 

after  he  has  once  become  afraid  .         .      »     255 

Teaching  the  horse  not  to  be  afraid  while   ridden      »     257 

PunivShments  given  to  the  horse  which  shows  fear 

while  ridden  .......     259 

Degree  of  possibility  of  aUaying  fear     .         .         .      »     266 

We  must  prevent  occurrence  of  accidents  to  the 
foal  which  is  taught  outside  the  riding  school 
in  order  not  to  give  him  bad  associations 
inspiring  him  with  fear        .         .         .         .      »     267 

There  is  great  liability  to  error  with  respect  to 
the  susceptibility  of  horses  to  fear  and  their 
excitability  to  motion  .         .         -         .       »     270 

In  riding  it  must  be  sought  to  anticipate  the  fear 
of  the  horse  in  order  to  be  in  time  to  pre- 
vent his  reactions  of  fear    .         .         .         .       »     273 

In  riding  the  fact  of  the  rider  keeping  the  horse' s 
attention  tixed  on  himself  assists  in  i>re- 
venting  fear  .         .         .         .         .         .      »     275 

Pretence  of  fear      .         .         .         .         .         .         .      »     276 

Teaching  the   horse   not   to   be    afraid    of  railway 

trains,  fire  arms  and  motor  cars  .         .      »     277 


Reactions. 


XV 


Reactions         .         .  - 

Various  reactions    . 
General  causes  of  reactions    . 
Special  causes  of  reactions     . 
How  reactions  are  determined 
Remedy  against  reactions 


Page  295 
»  296 
»  297 
»  298 
»  300 
»'    309 


On  the  bridling  of  horses  and  the  use  of  the  curb -bit      »     312 


Bermarks  on  turning  which  is  moving  on  a  curve    .       »     330 


"=^^S^ 


fW^WW^WM^WWW^WWWW^W^^W^fW^ 


THE  MIND  OE  THE  HOKSE 


Intelligence  —  Imagination  —  Memory. 

The  horse  is  endowed  with  fair  intelligence 
within  the  range  of  ideas  allowed  by  his  mental 
constitution  and  faculties,  and  owing  to  this  fact 
he  is  susceptible  of  being  taught  many  actions  and 
movements.  The  intelligence  he  possesses  is  limited, 
but  it  is  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  understand 
whether  he  should  respect  those  who  handle  or 
ride  him :  to  feel  the  justice  or  injustice  of  pu- 
nishments inflicted ;  to  study  the  means  of  oppo- 
sing, anticipating  and  circumventing  the  rider's 
guidance  in  order  to  follow  his  own  desires ;  to 
choose  for  attacking   man    the    moment   when    he 


THE   MIND    OF   THE   HORSE 


is  not  attentive  to  him  and  has  his  eyes  directed 
elsewhere. 

In  wild  horses  the  intelligence  is  far  more 
acutely  developed  in  all  that  relates  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  requirements  of  subsistence  and  of 
self-preservation.  In  this  respect  the  domestic  horse 
largely  loses  his  intelligence  owing  to  the  fact  that, 
having  everything  prepared  for  him,  he  does  not 
need  to  exercise  this  faculty.  The  domestic  horse 
is  more  intelligent  in  other  matters  which  he  learns 
owing  to  his  contact  with  man  from  birth. 

The  intelligent  horse  is  intent  on  observing  tlie 
slightest  movements  of  the  rider  he  is  bearing, 
and  understands  his  intentions  in  this  wav.  Tlie 
rider,  before  guiding  the  horse  to  perform  any 
particular  action,  gives  him  certain  preparatory 
aids  and  likewise  by  force  of  habit  and  without 
noticing  them,  makes  special  movements  with  his 
body. 

The  horse,  which  has  already  experienced,  on 
many  previous  occasions,  these  preparatory  aids, 
and  felt  these  special  movements,  wliich  tlu*  rider 
makes  before  putting  him  through  a  given    move- 


THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 


ment,  is  perfectly  cognisant  of  them,  and  imme- 
diately understands  from  them  what  the  rider  will 
require  him  to  do.  The  rider  who  is  in  the  habit 
of  giving  these  preparatory  aids  and  making  these 
given  movements,  does  so  without  perceiving  them, 
and,  being  unaware  of  them,  thinks  that  the  horse 
guesses  his  intention. 

Horses  in  general  are  attentive  to  their  rider, 
and  vicious  ones  in  particular  study  the  rider' s 
posture  and  movements  in  order  to  avail  themsel- 
ves of  the  moment  when  no  attention  is  paid  to 
them,  to  carry  out  opposition  or  attack,  or  follow 
their  own  will.  When  led  by  the  hand  the  vicious 
horse  watches  for  the  opportunity  to  injure  the 
groom  while  he  is  not  on  his  guard. 

The  horse  is  possessed  of  great  imagination.  He 
magnifies  and  is  bewildered  by  everything.  Eor 
this  reason  the  imagination  of  the  horse  has  become 
proverbial  in  Italy.  The  horse' s  imagination,  mag- 
nifying everj^hing  with  his  great  susceptibility  to 
fear,  is  an  evil,  but  has  its  compensating  feature 
in  the  ;fact  that  it  causes  the  animal  to  accept 
readily  the  idea  of  our  superiority,    which    makes 


THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 


him  obedient  to  our  feeble  aids  and  punishments. 
Upon  this,  i.  e.  upon  the  great  effect  of  our  weak 
means  of  action  upon  his  imagination,  is  based 
the  possibility  of  our  power  over  him. 

The  horse  is  usually  observant  and  attentive  to 
everything,  and  remembers  things  well.  He  is  par- 
ticularly mindful  of  good  treatment  and  bad,  and 
of  all  persons  and  objects  which  gave  him  pleasu- 
rable sensations  and  disagreeable  sensations  or  sen- 
sations of  fear,  also  of  the  circumstances  and  places 
where  he  exj)erienced  these  feelings  and  which  were 
associated  with  them. 

His  memory  of  persons,  objects  and  of  events 
happening  to  him  and  giving  him  pleasurable  sen- 
sations, and  of  the  places  where  they  happened, 
makes  him  hope  that  he  may  anew  be  given  plea- 
surable sensations  on  seeing  again  these  persons, 
objects,  occurrences,  places,  and  even  on  the  occur- 
rence of  the  slightest  circumstance  which  reminds 
him  of  these  persons,  objects,  events  and  places. 

His  memory  of  the  persons,  objects  and  places 
which  gave  him  disagreeable  sensations  or  fear 
makes  him   apprehend   that   he   may   again    expe- 


l"fite  Miisrb  o'F  the  Hoitsfi  5 

rience  disagreeable  sensations  or  fear  on  his  seeing 
again  these  persons,  objects,  oocurrences,  places,  or 
even  on  the  occurrence  of  the  slightest  circumstance 
recalling  to  his  mind  these  persons,  objects,  events 
and  places. 

If  he  has  experienced  fear,  or  has  been  hurt 
by  any  object,  he  remembers  it,  he  is  afraid  on 
seeing  that  object  again  and  seeks  to  escape  from 
it.  If  at  some  place  he  was  frightened  or  hurt  by 
a  given  object  he  is  fi'ightened  again  on  being 
brought  to  that  i)lace.  He  gladly  sees  and  desires 
to  approach  an  object  or  person  that  has  caused 
him  pleasure.  He  avoids  or  tries  to  avoid  the  person 
who  threatened  or  ill-treated  him  and  the  object 
from  which  he  derived  pain.  So  he  is  alarmed  if 
someone  shows  him  the  whip  with  which  he  was 
previously  struck. 

His  memory  makes  his  training  possible,  as  it 
allows  of  the  animal  remembering  the  movements 
taught.  The  horse  w^ll  remembers  the  various 
signals  or  aids  by  which  he  was  compelled  to 
assume  certain  given  positions  with  his  body  and 
go  through  the  various  paces  and  evolutions,    and 


6  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

after  having  gone  througli  them  several  times,  on 
the  first  signals  he  guesses  the  movements  he  is 
required  to  make  and  does  them  by  himself. 

Excitahility  to  motion  pecvliar  to  the  horse. 

The  principal  characteristic  of  the  horse  is  a 
peculiar  nervous  excitability,  so  that  on  the  sligh- 
test sound,  gesture,  provocation,  threat  or  touch 
he  puts  himself  in  motion  and  runs.  The  extreme 
excitability  of  his  nerves  or  the  facility  with  which 
he  puts  himself  in  motion  at  the  slightest  insti- 
gation or  signal  is  his  most  precious  quality  for  us. 

This  quality  is  in  harmony  with  the  purpose 
for  which  he  was  intended,  which  is  that  of  motion 
and  of  serving  a  useful  purpose  by  motion.  His 
excitability  and  the  facility  with  which  he  is  put 
in  motion  makes  him  amenable  to  our  aids  and 
punishments  for  exciting  him  to  go  and  gives  us 
the  means  of  masterv  over  him  bv  the  aid  of  our 
hands,  because  it  is  by  means  of  his  motion  and 
during  his  motion  that  the  horse  may  be  brought 
in   hand   by   the   aid   of  the   reins,    i.    e.    may   be 


THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 


brought  into  that  collected  position  in  which  it 
is  possible  to  act  mechanically  on  his  body  and  to 
make  him  go  through  the  movements  we  desire,  and 
prevent  him  from  making  those  he  would  wish. 

His  excitability  and  facility  to  motion  is  the 
basis  on  which  his  training  and  our  dominion  over 
him  are  founded.  We  must  endeavour  to  give  this 
excitability  and  readiness  to  go  to  the  horse  which 
is  without  them,  to  the  lazy  one.  The  above  is  the 
quality  which  essentially  distinguishes  the  consti- 
tution of  the  horse  from  that  of  the  ass.  Without 
it  the  horse  would  be  on  the  same  level  as  the 
ass,  superior  to  the  latter  only  in  form  and  appea- 
rance. 

To  remain  still  when  free  and  alone  in  the 
open  air  is  incompatible  with  his  excitability  and 
readiness  to  motion  and  must  not  be  required  from 
him.  He  will  remain  still  if  he  is  occupied  in 
grazing,  or  if  he  is  extremely  tired,  but  only  as 
hmg  as  he  is  not  excited  by  some  cause. 

His  excitability  prompts  him  to  run  on  seeing 
anything  moving,  and  whilst  he  is  running  he  is 
induced  to  run  still  faster  on  seeing  that  someone 


8  THE   MIND    OF   THE   HORSE 

is  pursuing  him.  For  this  reason,  if  it  is  desired 
to  catch  a  horse  turned  out  in  the  open  it  is 
necessary  to  approach  him  slowly  and  not  run 
after  him.  This  constitutional  quality  api>ears  in 
ditferent  degrees  in  various  horses  according  to 
their  breed,  and  according  as  they  are  better  or 
worse  specimens. 

Senses,  sensitweness,  sensations. 

Usually  the  horse  has  delicate  and  acutely  deve- 
loped senses,  particularly  those  of  smell  and  hear- 
ing. He  sees  from  a  distance  and  during  the  night 
time.  In  general  hoAvever  the  sense  of  sight  in 
horses  is  rarely  perfect,  as  they  on  many  occasions 
show  fear  even  of  objects  with  which  they  are 
acquainted,  and  in  this  way  prove  that  they  do 
not  recognise  them.  The  horse  hears  noises  from 
afar. 

The  tactile  organ  is  the  muzzle,  he  sniffe  at 
the  objects  he  desires  to  recognise  through  the 
nostrils,  and  touches  and  feels  them  with  the 
muzzle. 


THE    MIND    OF   THE   HORSE  9 


His  delicate  sense  of  smell  does  not  allow  him 
to  eat  things  having  a  bad  odonr  or  to  drink  bad 
water.  The  odour  of  decomposing  substances  and 
that  emanating  from  wild  beasts  alarms  him.  I  do 
not  know  how  he  distinguishes  good  plants  from 
bad.  Probably  poisonous  plants  have  a  peculiar 
odour  by  which  the  horse  is  instinctively  warned 
not  to  eat  them. 

Ordinarily  the  horse  has  no  great  sensitiveness 
in  the  skin  covering  the  body  and  the  legs;  his 
sensitiveness  is,  however,  great  behind  the  second 
bone  of  the  shoulders,  on  the  flanks,  beneath  the 
belly  and  on  the  inside  part  of  the  thigh.  He  feels 
the  excitement  or  irritation  known  as  tickling  on 
being  touched  in  these  pai-t^.  He  gives  signs  of 
this  by  becoming  restive,  by  kicking,  pawing  and 
trying  to  bite,  and  by  these  movements  he  endea- 
vours to  prevent  the  irritation  being  continued. 

He  experiences  annoyance  if  touched  roughly, 
and  fear  if  touched  unexpectedly.  If  touched  roughly 
so  that  he  experiences  pain  about  the  eyes,  ears 
or  head,  he  raises  his  head,  turns  it  in  another 
direction,  recedes,  attempts   to    bite,    and    employs 


10  THE   MIND    OF   THE   HOESE 

every    means    to    avoid   being   touched    and   bring 
about  a  cessation  of  the  irritation. 

Pinching  behind  the  second  bone  of  the  shoul- 
der excites  him  to  bite,  and  this  fact  is  turned  to 
account  by  circus  performers  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  him  to  seize  and  hold  objects  with  his 
teeth. 

Threatening  or  touching  him  with  the  riding 
or  driving  whip  has  the  eifect  of  stimulating  him 
to  move,  if  he  can,  and  making  him  break  away. 

The  spur  excites  many  horses  to  exertion.  On 
many  mares  and  on  some  horses  it  has  a  bad 
effect  and  is  an  injurious  excitement,  and  they 
become  restive  and  attempt  to  kick,  bite  or  jump. 

Hysterical  mares  stop  or  kick  on  being  touched 
with  spurs.  The  legs  and  spurs  continually  applied 
are  particularly  exciting  to  many  horses.  Some  of 
them  are  excited  owing  to  the  contact  of  the  stir- 
rup hanging  from  the  saddle,  and  others  by  feeling 
tlie  saddle,  the  harness  and  fittings  or  the  crupper. 

The  cavesson  is  usuallv  effective  with  all  horses 
as  it  acts  upon  the  brain ;  the  seat  of  intelligence 
and  will. 


THE    MIND    OF    THE   HORSE  11 

The  frequent  repetition  of  the  act  of  touching 
diminishes  and  finally  may  remove  the  irritation  or 
fear  due  to  being  touched,  and  may  accustom  the 
horse  to  the  act. 

Sensations  are  involuntary,  the  horse  cannot 
help  experiencing  them.  He  cannot  help  experien- 
cing fear,  the  tickling  sensation  and  the  other 
feelings  called  forth  in  him  by  objects.  The  effect 
of  these  sensations  may  be  diminished  by  repea- 
ting the  process  of  touching  him  very  often  and 
by  letting  the  animal  see  that  the  object  which 
inspires  him  with  fear  does  him  no  harm. 

Aids  and  punishments  should  not  be  too  often 
repeated  so  that  the  horse  may  not  become  accu- 
stomed to  tliem,  when  they  would  fail  of  their 
effect.  Senses,  sensitiveness  and  sensations  are  usual- 
ly more  powerful  in  a  well-bred  horse,  as  he  is 
more  highly  strung. 

Over-sensitiveness  of  the  mouth  results  in  it 
being  impossible  to  employ  the  horse  with  the  bit 
and  at  times  even  with  the  snaffle,  and  excessive 
nervous  excitability  renders  it  impossible  to  main- 
tain masterv  over  the  animal,  as  it  results  in   his 


12  TfiE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSft 

going  ahead  at  too  great  a  speed,  without  the 
power  to  restrain  him.  His  degree  of  sensitiveness 
gives  greater  or  less  value  to  his  sensations  and 
determines  his  degree  of  responsiveness  to  aids 
and  punishments. 

I^istmcts,  indinations,  feelings. 

He  has  the  same  inclinations,  the  same  in- 
stincts and  the  same  feelings  as  man.  He  is  so- 
ciable, likes  the  company  of  other  horses,  and 
neighs  to  attract  attention  to  himself  and  call  them. 
On  seeing  them  or  observing  them  pass  he  is  at- 
tracted; seeks  to  approacli  them,  feels  regret  on 
separation  and  would  like  to  follow  them.  This 
mav  sometimes  cause  trouble,  but  in  manv  cases 
it  is  an  advantage.  The  example  of  another  horse 
going  into  the  water  or  passing  close  to  an  object 
which  inspires  him  with  fear  is  for  him  the  most 
effectively  persuasive  argument  when  others  do  not 
avail. 

He  is  extremelv  liable  to  be  seized  bv  fear  or 
dread  from  the  slightest  cause,  and  thinks   imme- 


THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  13 

diately  to  save  himself  from  all  and  everything 
that  threatens  him  or  which  he  believes  to  be 
threatening  him,  or  which  causes  him  pain,  by 
dashing  away  at  the  utmost  speed. 

His  extreme  susceptibility  to  fear  is  a  grave 
inconvenience  and  a  gi*eat  evil  on  many  occasions, 
but  it  is  the  factor  by  means  of  which  masterv 
is  obtained  over  him.  Our  dominion  over  the  horse 
is  based  on  his  trust  and  confidence  in  us,  but 
also  on  his  readiness  to  obey,  whicli  largely  de- 
l>ends  on  his  fear  of  punishment.  The  instinct  of 
fear,  which  is  the  instinct  of  self-preservation,  in 
many  cases  so  over-powers  him  that  he  docs  not 
feel  the  aids  employed  nor  the  punishments  inflic- 
ted and  can  no  longer  be  controlled. 

A  resort  to  actual  force  inspires  him  with  fear, 
excites  him  to  reaction  and  often  desperate  resi- 
stance with  all  liis  strength,  until  either  he  frees 
liimself  or  does  himself  such  injury  as  to  be  able 
to  react  no  longer.  Thus  if  he  feels  himself  drawn 
by  force  towards  an  «>hject  ^vliich  inspires  him  with 
fear  he  backs,  and  it  is  in  many  instances  impos- 
sible to  get  him  to  advance  again  even  by  severe 


14  THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE 

punishment.  He  yields  to  the  force  exercised  on 
him  only  if  we  succeed  in  inspiring  him  with 
much  fear  on  the  side  on  which  he  desires  to  go. 
When  influenced  b}'  fright  he  may  try  to  defend 
himself  by  kicking  and  biting. 

Like  all  animals  he  seeks  pleasure  and  flees 
from  pain.  He  seeks  the  satisfaction  of  his  natural 
wants  and  of  his  instincts.  The  fact  of  his  being 
under  the  influence  of  his  instincts  must  not  be 
attributed  to  him  as  a  fault.  We  must  seek  to 
dominate  him  by  preventing  and  guarding  him 
against  circumstances  and  situations  which  may 
call  them  into  play  and  excite  him. 

When  he  is  not  afraid  or  ill-tempered  he  feels 
pleasure  on  being  caressed  and  stroked  with  the 
hand,  particularly  on  the  top  of  the  head,  on  the 
neck,  on  the  eyes,  and  this  is  a  means  of  indu- 
cing him  to  regard  us  as  friends  and  do  as  we 
desire. 

He  is  afraid  of  falling ;  therefore,  if  he  stumbles, 
he  moves  with  energy  for  some  time  after  and  if 
he  falls  makes  efforts  to  rise.  He  becomes  easilv 
disccniraged  however  and  if,  after  he  has  fallen,  he 


THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE  15 

has  made  some  attempts  to  rise  and  lias  not  suc- 
ceeded he  thinks  he  cannot  succeed,  gives  up  hope 
and  lies  motionless ;  powerful  stimulation  is  then 
required  to  induce  him  to  endeavour  to  regain  his 
footing. 

It  is  the  instinct  of  horses  as  of  all  animals 
to  incur  the  least  possible  fatigue.  The  idea  that 
it  is  good  to  work  is  a  thought  suggested  to  man 
by  reflecting  on  the  necessity  and  utility  of  work. 
All  animals  instinctivelv  know  that  it  is  better 
not  to  work  aud  theA'  do  not  exert  themselves  with- 

ft 

out  a  sense    of   necessitv,  or  a  desire   to  seek  the 

ft-    / 

satisfaction  of  their  natural  requirements  or  instincts, 
or  escape  a  danger. 

The  lion  sleeps  when  he  has  fed  and  moves 
when  he  feels  the  pangs  of  hunger.  The  horse 
runs,  springs,  goes  collected  and  with  high  action 
in  exuberance  of  spirits  when  he  is  fresh  imme- 
diately after  resting.  This  he  does  in  order  to  faci- 
litate the  vital  functions  of  his  bodv.  When  this 
need  has  passed  he  goes  througli  the  amount  of 
exercise  which  is  required  for  keeping  liis  limbs 
in  i)rupcr  condition  and  then  does  not  move  without 


16  THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE 


a  special  reason,  i.  e.  without  something  exciting 
him  or  inspiring  him  with  a  feeling  of  fear  or 
dread. 

The  animal  when  at  liberty  regulates  his  mo- 
vements so  as  not  to  expend  more  energy  than  is 
compensated  by  his   supply    of  food;    on    growing 

tired  he  feeds  and  rests  and  after  feeding  and 
resting  takes  exercise  as  he  feels  the  need  of  mo- 
vement in  order  to  facilitate  the  secretions  requi- 
red for  organic  function.  The  instinct  prompting 
liim  to  spare  himself  fatigue  makes  him  careless 
in  his  movements  and  at  times  he  stumbles  and 
falls. 

He  was  created  for  motion  and  requires  motion. 
After  good  food  and  rest,  a  deficiency  of  exercise 
induces  in  him  a  state  of  nervous  excitement  which 
is  due  to  excessive  exuberance  of  spirits  and  he 
feels  the  need  of  jumping  and  running  in  order 
to  sret  rid  of  the  nervous  excitabilitv  which  tor- 
nients  him.  If  he  is  unable  to  do  so  he  grows 
vicious,  as  idleness  is  the  root  of  all  evil  and  suffers 
pliysically,  as  the  want  of  exercise  causes  disorders 
in  the  body  and  congestion  in  the  legs. 


THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  17 

Under  the  influence  of  this  excitability  or  ex- 
cessive exuberance  of  spirits,  he  prances  about 
without  paying  attention  to  either  direction  or 
distance  and  injures  even  the  man  who  is  friendly 
to  him  altliougli  he  may  have  neither  reason  nor 
intention  to  injure  him.  For  this  reason  it  is  always 
well  not  to  trust  him  and  to  stand  near  the  shoul- 
der so  as  to  ofi"er  less  facility  of  being  hurt.  Even 
wlien  lame  lie  may  feel  this  pliysical  excitement, 
and  jump,  and  injure  himself,  and  he  should  be 
prevented  from  jumping  by  covering  his  eyes. 
Owing  to  this  restlessness  he  acquires  stable  vices 
when  in  the  stall,  as  it  prompts  him  to  kick  and 
bite,  and  he  thus  learns  to  know  his  own  strength 
and  the  weakness  of  man. 

There  are  horses  who  <m  passing  through  the 
water  feel  an  inclination  to  lie  down  in  it.  Care 
should  be  taken  not  to  allow  this  when  the  horse 
is  mounted  and  the  animal  should  be  induced  to 
continue  moving.  Lying  down  on  the  ground  and 
rolling  over  is  a  thing  often  done  by  the  horse 
when  at  liberty  and  seems  to  be  a  reaction  against 
cold,  perspiration  and  fatigue  and  a  method  of 
giving  the  body  a  sort  of  electric  shock. 


18  THE   MIND    OV   THE   HORSE 

In  the  sixteenth  ceiitiiry  there  was  a  special 
place  kept,  provided  ^\  ith  plenty  of  straw,  in  ^\  hicli 
the  horses,  on  returning  from  work  c<nild  roll  over 
to  their  hearts'  content  and  remove  the  stiifness 
given  to  their  limbs  by  fatigue. 

The  horse  feels  irritation  and  anuer  if  acted 
towards  in  a  way  which  displeases  him;  he  feels 
envy  if  another  horse  receives  food  v*hilst  he  has 
none.  He  feels  sometimes  antipathy  or  hatred  to- 
wards a  given  horse  without  an  intelligible  reason ; 
in  this  manner  several  horses  occasionally  come 
to  an  understanding  against  one  of  their  number 
and  it  is  requisite  to  separate  them  in  order  to 
prevent  them  from  injuring  him.  Some  horses 
hate  all  other  horses  and  injure  them  on  th(  ir 
approach. 

The  ordinary  horse  is  much  more  subject  to 
fear  and  is  much  more  obstinate  and  ditficult  to, 
persuade  than  a  horse  of  a  good  breed.  He  resem 
bles  the  ass,  who  seems  rather  indifferent  to  both 
good  and  bad  treatment.  All  the  instincts  are  more 
powerful  and  acute  in  the  A^ild  horse  and  in  lit  at 
reared  in  the   o^jen    air    than    in    the    domestically 


THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  19 

reared  horse.  In  the  free  state  horses  are  able  to 
defend  themselves  from  wolves. 

Domestic  rearing  deprives  them  of  their  mental 
acuteness  and  the  power  of  the  senses  and  instincts 
possessed  by  wild  liorses  in  respect  to  tlie  satisfac- 
tion of  their  needs  and  self-preservati<m.  The  wikl 
liorse  must  see  to  pr<^vide  for  his  safety  and  for 
liis  nutriment  and  is  more  intelliiient  and  quick- 
witted. The  domestic  liorse  does  not  tliink  of  his 
needs,  as  man  thinks  for  liim.  Eor  this  reascm  his 

mind  does  not  develoj>  in  this  respect,  whilst  it 
becomes  more  intelligent  in  other  ways  owing  to 
liis  being  always  in  contact  with  man.  The  wild 
liorse  in  also  more  wilful  and  more  difficult  to 
subjugate  and  hold  in  obedience. 

The  entire  strongly  feels  the  natural  instinct, 
and  also  jealousy,  and  is  usually  restless  and  irri- 
table. He  is  usually  endowed  with  courage  and  is 
able  to  defend  himself  from  ^^ild  beasts.  Several 
horses  are  on  record  as  having  defended  themsel- 
ves when  placed  in  the  circus  together  with  lions 
and  tigers.  They  were  however  of  a  vicious  nature. 
Mares    and    iicldings    are    usuallv    docile.    Entires 


'20  THE   MI>"D    OF    THE    HORSE 

reared  in  our  climate  are  not  adapted  for  the  purpo- 
se of  ridini>-  as  in  general  tliev  cannot  be  mastered. 

or?  »' 

Arabian  entires  may  be  mastered  and  mounted  but 
under  certain  circumstances  they  may  give  trouble. 
It  is  not  true  that  the  horse  instinctiyely  feels 
the  superiority  of  man.  The  wild  horse,  Avhich  does 
not  feel  any  such  superiority,  proves  this.  Tlie 
horse  reared  domestically  feels  the  superiority  of 
man  because  he  sees  it  from  his  birth,  but  man 
scxm  loses  this  superiority  if  he  does  iu)t  know 
how  to  handle  him  in  the  right  A\ay  to  maintain 
it.  It  may    on    the    other    hand    be    said    that    the 

« 

wild  horse  has  instinctive  fear  of  man  (knowing 
instinctively  that  he  is  an  evil  creature)  is  averse 
from  allowinu'  himself  to  be  caught  and  seeks  to 
escape  from  man. 

Ideas  and  feelinf/s   —    Their   orifiin 

Ideas  and  feelinf/s 

Which   we  maij  call  forth    in    the    horse. 

The  horse  is  intelligent,  but  only  within  a  very 
limited  range  of  ideas,  Avhich  ahvays  relate  to  his 


THE   MINI)    OF    THE    HORSE  21 


instincts  of  fear  or  self-preservation  —  to  the  satis- 
faction of  liis  needs  sucli  an  feeding,  drinking,  etc. , 
and  to  the  sensations  lie  receives  due  to  objects. 
The  ideas  of  tlie  liorse  arise :  from  liis  instincts ; 
from  tlie  objects  wliicli,  coming  under  the '  action 
of  liis  senses,  give  rise  to  sensations  in  him ;  from 
the  movements  made  by  ourselves  or  others  which 
lie  sees  and  observes;  from  the  actions  he  has  per- 
formed or  has  been  able  to  perform. 

The  sight  of  ourselves  or  of  another  horse  mo- 
ving in  front  gives  him  the  idea  of  following.  The 
sight  of  others  running  gives  him  the  idea  of  run- 
ning. For  this  reason  we  can  give  rise  to  the  ideas 
we  desire  in  him;  by  letting  him  see  objects,  cir- 
cumstances and  movements  Avhich  call  forth  in  him 
the  required  ideas;  by  making  movements  which 
call  fr)rth  in  him  certain  ideas  we  desire;  bv  asso- 
elating  one  action  with  another  and  letting  him 
see  that  by  such  and  such  an  aid  he  is  constanth' 
compelled  to  go  through  a  certain  movement. 

His  desires,  his  feelings,  his  intenticms  and  his 
^vill  to  make  movements  are  caused  by  and  are 
likewise  due  to  his  instincts;  to  the  objects  which 


22  THE   MIND    OF    THE   HOKSE 

come  under  the  action  of  liis  senses;  to  the  move- 
ments he  sees  and  observes  aronnd  liim  Mliicli  he 
knows  to  have  i»iven  him  pleasure  or  pain  and 
which  he  therefore  accounts  for  i>ood  or  evil. 

Caresses  usually  give  him  i)leasure,  give  rise 
to  the  idea  that  we  are  giving  him  pleasure,  that 
Av  e  are  friendly  to  him,  and  acc(n"dingly  he  is  glad 
to  see  us  and  is  disj)osed  to  alloAv  himself  to  be 
guided  by  us. 

Bad  treatment  in  the  stable  and  outside  calls 
forth  in  him  the  idea  of  fear,  of  our  being  enemies, 
of  aversion,  of  tleeing  from  us,  of  opposing  us,  of 
hatred,  of  injuring  us. 

The  memory  of  an  act  he  has  performed  which 
has  been  several  times  associated  with  another  or 
folloAved  by  another  act  recalls  the  latter  to  his 
mind  and  gives  liim  the  idea  of  perfcn'ming  this 
act  again  or  that  this  act  will  occur  again.  On 
seeing  anyone  take  in  hand  the  sieve  in  which 
oats  have  already  been  given  to  him  several  times, 
the  sieve  reminds  him  of  the  oats  given  to  liim 
in  it  Avhich  he  has  eaten,  and  arouses  in  liim  the 
idea    of  having  them    and    that  it    is    intended    to 


THE    MIND    OF    THE    HOESE  23 

give  him  tliem  again.  By  showing  him  the  oat 
sieve  you  make  him  exj)ect  something  that  is 
good. 

By  placing  him  anew  in  circnmstances  and  po- 
sitions in  which  he  was  able  to  obev  his  own  im- 
pnLses  we  give  rise  in  him  to  the  idea  and  desire 
of  following  out  his  own  impulses  anew  which  is 
an  idea  we  should  not  give  him  and  should  not 
allow  others  to  give  him. 

When  one  is  not  yet  sufficiently  master  of 
the  horse  to  be  able  to  hohl  liim  back  it  is  requi- 
site that  he  should  not  be  allo^\ed  to  pass  on  to 
the  threshold  of  his  stable  so  as  not  to  give  him 
the  idea  and  temptation  of  entering.  If  lie  has 
been  in  a  position  to  carry  out  any  independent 
action  and  lias  been  allowed  to  do  so  he  alwavs 
remembers  having  been  able  to  do  so  and  for  this 
reason  conceives  the  idea  and  the  will  of  doing 
so  again. 

If  he  has  been  able  or  allowed  to  swerve 
once  or  go  aside  from  an  object  which  inspired 
him  with  fear  he  conceives  the  idea  of  being  able 
to  swerve  in  this  way  and  desires  to  do  so  whene- 


24  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

ver  lie  sees  the  object  wliicli  arouses  in  him  the 
idea  and  tlie  feeling  of  fear  until  this  idea  has 
been  removed  by  preventing   him    from    swerving. 

If  he  has  been  prevented  from  carrying  out  any 
movement  of  his  own  accord,  or  from  going  info 
the  stable  when  he  desired,  he  conceives  the  idea 
of  it  being  possible  to  prevent  him,  of  his  not 
being  able  to  do  it,  and  therefore  of  obedience, 
and  he  remembers  it. 

We  should  treat  the  horse  in  such  a  way  and 
place  him  in  such  a  position  as  to  arouse  in  him 
ideas  of  advantage  to  us  and  particularly  the  idea 
of  his  not  being  able  to  do  as  he  desires  and  there- 
fore of  obedience,  and  we  must  not  allow  of  his 
being  in  a  position  to  carry  out  his  own  impulses 
and  acquire  the  idea  of  superiority  over  us.  This 
is  a  rule  which  should  never  be  departed  from  in 
training  horses  and  which  should  always  be  o])ser- 
ved  in  our  relations  with  all  horses.  Many  horses 
merely  from  seeing  that  they  have  once  been  able 
to  have  their  own  way  become  intractable  and  are 
no  longer  amenable  to  control. 


THE    MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  25 


Will,  actionSj  mofiveft  of  actions. 

How  we  can  influence  his  w4JI  so  as  to  secure 

the  actions  we  desire. 

The  horse  is  master  of  his  own  movemeiits  and 
acts  by  his  own  will ;  iioino'  or  stopping  and  every 
other  movement  is  due  to  his  ^\  ill.  Even  when  he 
obevs  us  he  acts  bv  his  own  will;  he  obevs  and 
perfin-ms  an  action  which  he  is  ordered  to  perform 
because  he  has  accepted  the  idea  of  doina-  so  at 
our  invitation  or  command. 

The  horse  performs  a  movement  because  there 
has  first  arisen  in  him  the  idea  of  doin.o'  it  and 
his  will  has  then  decided  to  carrv  it  out.  After 
having  conceived  the  idea  of  carrying  out  a  move- 
ment by  an  impulse  of  tlie  will  he  conveys  to  his 
nerves  the  command  to  execute  it  and  these  do  so 
by  calling  into  action  the    corresiionding    muscles. 

From  +his  it  is  seen  that  in  (u-der  to  teach  him 
anv  movement  it  is  necessarv  to  first  call  forth 
in  him  bv  some  means  the  idea  of  the  movement 
it  is  desired  to  teach  him  to  make  and  afterwards 
excite  in  him  the  will  to  do  it. 


26  THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 

When  he  desires  to  carry  out  any  action  due 
to  his  own  will  there  is  usually  a  brief  interyal 
between  the  conception  of  the  idea  of  performing 
this  action  and  the  act  of  yolition  which  results 
in  its  execution.  This  interyal  allows  us,  by  ayail- 
in»'  ourselyes  of  suitable  means  with  the  necessary 
promptness,  to  preyent  the  execution  of  the  action 
he  had  the  idea  of  carryine;  out. 

Usually  Avhen  on  horseback  it  is  possible  to 
preyent  \\\^  execution  of  an  idea  conceiyed  only 
in  a  trained  horse,  as  the  trained,  i.  e.  obedient 
liorse  is  n<^t  so  decided  in  carryine:  out  actions  dae 
to  his  own  Avill  as  the  untrained  horse  and  leayes 
a  greater  interyal  between  the  conception  of  the 
itlea,  and  its  execution,  because  \\\q  trained  horse 
has  learned  to  obey  the  aids  of  the  liand  and  the 
aids  and  punishments  for  exciting  liim  to  motion 
which  are  effectiye  in  preyenting  the  execution  of 
the  idea  by  causing  him  to  adyance,  and  not  allow- 
ing him  tlic  time  to  take  up  the  necessary  posi- 
tion preparat(^ry  to  the  action. 

The  horse  is  master  of  liis  limbs  and  if  we 
desire  that  he  should  put  them  in  motion  accord- 


THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  27 

ing  to  our  requirements  it  is  necessary  tliai  we 
should  give  liim  ideas  and  place  him  in  circum- 
stances which  make  him  see  and  feel  tlie  desira- 
bility and  moral  necessity  of  putting  his  limbs 
into  motion  in  the  given  wa^'  we  wish. 

All  the  actions  of  the  horse  have  a  cause,  a 
motive,  and  when  it  is  not  possible  to  see  or  to 
discover  a  motive  for  them,  the  motive  actuating 
him  is  the  memory  of  some  object  seen  or  heard, 
some  action  seen  or  done.  Owners  cannot  under- 
stand why  their  horses  oHer  defence,  as  they  do 
not  know  what  their  men  liave  done  to  the  horses ; 
the  horses  however  know  the  reason  of  their  act- 
ing in  til  is  way. 

The  motives  for  tlie  actions  of  the  horse,  deter- 
mining his  will,  which  make  him  feel  the  necessity 
of  making  or  not  making  a  movement,  are  princi- 
pally his  instincts,  his  natural  inclinations,  the 
desire  to  satisfy  his  natural  Avants  (to  feed,  to 
drink,  to  seek  pleasure,  to  tiee  from  pain,  to  flee 
from  an  object  which  inspires  him  with  the  idea 
of  danger  or  with  dread),  and  the  fear  with  which 
he  is  imbued  by  a  superior  power  or  a  power  that 


28  THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 

appears  to  him  to  be  or  wliicli  he  believes  to  be 
superior.  Our  power  appears  to  him  superior  owing 
to  the  effect  of  his  imagination  and  to  the  way  in 
Avliich  we  emphn  our  power  so  as  to  make  him 
believe  it  superior  and  to  deceive  him. 

Whenever  he  desires  to  perform  or  performs  an 
action  there  is  the  reason  that  his  instinct  impels 
him  to  do  it  or  that  he  remembers  having  done 
it  or  having  been  able  to  do  it  once  before,  or  else 
because  sensations  awakened  in  liim  by  the  outside 
M  (^rld  give  rii=ie  in  him  to  ideas  connected  with  his 
instincts  and  the  latter  prompt  him  to  perform  or 
not  to  perform  one  action  or  another  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  action,  i.  e.  according  to  whether 
pleasure  is  promised  him  or  pain  is  foreseen  from 
its  performance. 

The  fact  of  finding  himself  at  liberty  excites 
liim  to  jump  and  run,  the  sight  of  others  running 
excites  him  to  run,  the  sight  of  an  object  which 
gives  him  fear  impels  him  to  turn  aside,  draw 
back  and  fiee,  the  sight  of  other  horses  excites  him 
to  run  to  them  as  their  company  gives  him  plea- 
sure. Motion  or  passage  from  one  place  to  another 


THE    MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  29 

is  nsiially  an  action  very  easily  called  forth  in  him 
OAving  to  his  peculiar  excitability  to  motion. 

It  must  not  he  demanded  of  him  that  he  should 
not  feel  inclined  to  do  what  his  instincts  tell  liim 
to  do.  We  must  proceed  so  as  to  prevent  his  con- 
ceiving ideas  or  liaving  oppiU'tunities  and  temi)ta- 
tions  to  perform  tliose  actions  which  are  not  good 
for  us  or  Avliich  run  counter  to  obedience,  and 
must  prevent  him  from  performing  sucli  actions. 
On  tlie  contrary,  we  shouhl  place  him  under  cir- 
cumstances wliich  make  liim  feel  the  moral  neces- 
sity of  performing  those  actions  which  are  of  piofit 
to  us  and  which  we  desire  he  should  do.  This  is 
the  manner  of  preventing  him  from  performing 
actions  due  to  his  own  will  and  of  inducing  him 
to  carrv  out  the  movements  we  desire. 

The  recollection  of  having  been  able  to  perform 
an  action  <m  another  occasion  is  the  commonest 
reason  M\iy  the  horse  desires  to  pertVirm  most  of 
his  actions.  If,  when  passing  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  stable,  he  has  once  been  able  to  enter  it  (the 
idea  of  pleasure,  of  food,  drink  and  rest  being 
associated    with    the    stable)    notwithstanding    the 


30  THE    MIND    OF    THE    HORSE 

opposition  of  man,  tliis  fact  forms  the  motive, 
whicli,  Aviienever  he  passes  hy  the  stabk"!,  makes  him 
want  to  enter  it,  and  he  Avill  enter  it  each  time 
nntil  lie  lias  found  some  one  wlio  can  prevent  him. 

After  having  heen  ])revented  repeatedly  from 
doing  this  the  idea  will  come  to  him  that  he  cannot 
go  there,  that  he  ought  not  to  go  there,  and  this 
will  be  the  reason  for  his  not  going.  He  tirst  w  anted 
to  go  to  the  stable  because  the  stable  promised  him 
pleasure,  but  afterwards  does  not  wish  to  go  there, 
i.  e.  renounces  his  desire  to  go  there,  because  he 
has  seen  that  the  desire  to  go  to  the  stable  has 
brought  punishment  or  pain  upon  him,  which  was 
inflicted  upon  him  when  he  desired  to  go  there, 
and  because  he  has  seen  that  he  has  not  been  able 
to  go  there  —  because  he  has  been  prevented. 

If  a  man  lias  ill-treated  him  and  the  horse  has 
seen  that  by  kicking  he  has  inspired  the  man  with 
fear  and  has  made  him  draw  back,  this  is  the 
motive  from  which  he  will  alwavs  remember  to 
kick  and  ^\ill  desire  to  kick  any  man  who  goes 
near  him  whom  he  fears  (although  he  does  not 
know  him),  because  lie  conjectures  that  he  is  like 


THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE  31 


the  other  man  Avho  first  ill-treated  him  and  that 
he  also  desires  to  ill-treat  him. 

If  under  certain  circnmstanoes,  in  the  presence 
of  certain  objects  or  in  (pertain  places  he  has  felt 
fear  and  has  been  able  to  turn  back,  this  fact  is 
the  motive  from  which  he,  finding  liimself  anew 
in  the  same  circumstances,  will  again  desire  to 
turn  back.  If  on  Ix^ina  prick(Ml  Avith  the  spurs  he 
has  been  able  to  throw  u])  the  croup,  on  being 
touched  again  he  Avill   repeat  this  movement. 

It  depends  upon  us  not  to  giv(^  him  ideas, 
temptations  and  opportunities  for  performing  ac- 
tions auainst  our  desire  or  to  our  detriment,  bv 
not  cfmducting  him  where  he  Avould  be  subject  to 
them  ])cfore  training  has  tauglit  him  obedience 
and  lias  enabled  him  to  be  coUeeted  or  put  into 
that  position  of  the  ])ody  in  which  he  iK^  in  our 
power,  and  can  be  held  back. 

/Sifpi-s'  htf  winch  he  nhowfi  Jti.s  lde((tS',  his  feeliiHis 
(Hid  his  intent ioius. 

The  horse  gives  signs  of  ideas,  feelings,  desires, 
passions,  or   intentions  to  perform   certain   actions, 


32  THE    MIND    OP    THE   HORSE 

prompted  by  sensations  experienced  from  the  actions 
of  ourselves  or  others  —  by  liis  eyes,  his  ears,  by 
neiii^liing,  by  the  movements  lie  makes  with  his 
body  and  witli  one  or  another  oi  his  limbs  and  by 
his  assuming  certain  preparatory  positions  suited  to 
carry  out  the  intended  movements.  These  signs,  or 
some  of  them,  precede  his  actions. 

In  the  horse  the  eyes  are  the  mirror  of  the  mind. 
Horses  able  to  simulate  are  but  rarely  met  with, 
in  contrast  to  man  in  \yliom  sincerity  is  an  exception. 

Quiet  eyes  indicate  quietness  and  sincerity;  quick 
and  lively  eyes,  vivacity;  restless  eyes  turning  in 
all  directions,  indicate  suspicion  and  show  that  the 
animal  is  studying  those  around  him  in  order  to 
prepare  some  freak  of  self-will.  A  proverb  tells  us 
not  to  trust  to  the  horse  who  shows  the  wiiite  of 
the  eye.  The  reason  is  that  he  shows  the  white  of 
the  eye  when  looking  sideways,  and  he  is  intent 
on  seizing  the  moment  when  no  attention  is  being 
paid  to  liim,  for  escape  or  attack. 

Looking  or  bending  the  head  round  towards 
the  stable  denotes  an  idea,  desire,  or  intenti(m  of 
going   there;    swinging    the    croup    round    signifies 


THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE  33 


the  desire  to  kick;  pricking  up  the  ears  forward, 
raising  the  head,  relaxing  speed  during  motion  proves 
he  is  experiencing  a  sense  of  fear. 

Turbid  eyes  indicate  fear  or  anger.  In  a  vicious 
horse  the  glance  is  usually  restless  and  has  a  some- 
what sinister  and  peculiar  intentness,  as  in  criminals. 
Unsteady  eyes  with  signs  of  fear  signify  that  he 
has  been  ill-treated,  that  he  expects  to  be  ill-treated 
and  that  he  is  in  continual  appreliension  of  being 
ill-treated.  Looking  ahead,  paying  attention  to  some- 
thing   in   front   and   giving  some  start  of  surprise, 
whilst   slackening  tlie  pace,  means  that  he  appre- 
hends meeting  Avitli  some  object  of  fear  or  danger. 
Looking  backwards  or  running  forward  denote  an 
apprehension  that  an  object  of  fear  or  danger  may 
come  from   behind.   On   many   occasions   when   he 
desires  to  do  something,  he  iirst  observes  whether 
liis  rider  is  paying  attention  to  him. 

The  cars  are  a  faithful  index  to  his  mind.  When 
pricked  forward  they  denote  his  ai)preliension  of  en- 
countering or  seeing  an  object  of  fear  in  front.  Turned 
backwards  they  are  intent  upon  any  noise  or  ap- 
prehended  object  of  fear    which    may    come    from 


34  THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 

bcliind,  and  even  upon  the  man  mounting  or  dri- 
vini»;  liim. 

Ears  depressed  backwards  signify:  a  sensation 
of  tiolvling;  objection  to  being  approaclied;  fear  of 
man  and  expectation  of  ill-treatment;  a  disposition 
to  kick  or  bite;  objection  to  being  approaclied  by 
any  other  horse  and  intention  to  kick  at  him.  This 
sign  precedes  or  accomx)anies  kicking,  pawing  or 
biting.  His  looking  and  directing  the  ears  towards 
an  obstacle  whilst  being  guided  toAvards  it  means 
that  he  intends  springing  over  it,  that  he  is  con- 
sidering liow  to  prepare  for  springing  over  it  and 
how  he  may  arrive  with  accelerated  speed  at  a 
proper  distance  for  jumping  over  it.  This  is  however 
not  a  certain  sign  that  he  Avill  jump  over,  as  on 
approaching  he  may  be  impressed  with  the  idea  of 
not  being  capable  of  doing  it.  Mobility  of  the  ears, 
one  forward  and  the  other  backwards  was  regarded 
by  horsemen  of  the  sixteenth  century  as  a  special 
sign  of  viciousness  and  evil  intentions  and  as  pre- 
ceding some  freak  of  self-will. 

The  horse  neighs  in  all  tones  and  each  tone  has 
a  s})ecial  significance.  He  neighs  in  order  to  attract 


THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  35 

the  attention  of  and  to  call  any  other  horse  whose 
footsteps  he  may  hear;  he  neighs  on  seeing  the  stable 
representing  his  home,  food  and  drink,  or  becanse 
he  is  linngry  or  thirsty  whilst  he  is  in  the  stall;  he 
neighs  from  impatience  if  he  is  tethered  and  wonld 
like  to  be  free,  to  join  other  horses.  Sometimes  he 
snorts  from  fear  or  from  anger  on  being  pnnished 
with  the  spnrs  or  on  smelling  decaying  substances. 

Swishing  the  tail  from  one  side  to  the  other  is 
in  some  horses  and  inares  caused  by  the  action  of 
tlic  riders'  legs  and  spm's  and  is  an  ugly  tiling  to 
see;  in  other  horses  it  iiulicates  an  excited  condition 
of  the  bladder,  or  livsterical  excitement  and  mav 
be  a  sign  of  a  desire  to  kick:  in  some  few  liorses 
it  also  signifies  self-will  and  a  desire  to  jib  or  refuse. 

The  tail  when  depressed  is  an  index  of  fear  of 
punishment,  dread  of  objects  touching  him,  bad 
breed,  or  a  sensation  of  cold.  A  drooping  tail  is  a 
sign  of  fatigue.  Good  carriage  of  the  tail  whilst  in 
moti(m  is  a  sign  of  good  breed.  It  may  also  be  the 
result  of  excitement  or  fear. 

When  the  hair  of  the  coat  rises  it  is  a  sign  of 
cold   or    illness.    Trembling  is  indicative    of  great 


36  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

fear.  He  trembles  ou  perceiving  the  odour  of  wild 
beasts.  From  all  these  signs,  if  they  have  been  stu- 
died, it  is  possible  to  understand  what  the  horse 
thinks  and  foresee  what  he  may  desire  to  do,  and 
prevent  it. 


Signs  of  a  desire  to  perform  certain  movements 

inferred  from  his  attitudes 

and   the  positions   he   assumes. 

For  making  all  his  movements  he  first  needs 
to  prepare  his  body  by  adoj^ting  suitable  positions. 
Therefore  on  seeing  him  take  up  a  given  preparatory 
position,  corresponding  to  a  certain  given  action  it 
is  possible  to  infer  the  movement  he  desires  to  make. 
When  standing  firmly  with  body  upright  and  not 
inclined  in  any  direction  and  with  all  four  legs 
equally  straight  he  cannot  move  them.  If  he  desires 
to  paw  with  one  leg  he  inclines  his  body  to  the 
other  side  and  backwards.  When  he  desires  to  kick 
he  inclines  his  bodv  very  much  forward  and  throws 
the  weight  of  his   body   on   the  fore  legs  so  as  to 


THE    MIND   OF   THE   HORSE  37 

leave  the  hind  legs  free.   In  order  to  bite  a  man 
standing"  at  his  side  he  faces   round  towards  him. 

In  order  to  swerve  and  turn  back  he  lowers  the 
fore  part  of  his  body,  bending  his  head  and  neck 
towards  the  object  inspiring  him  with  fear,  and 
then  swerves  to  the  other  side.  In  order  to  perform 
any  independent  movement  while  in  motion,  he  re- 
quires first  to  slacken  his  speed  and  get  out  of 
hand. 

When  he  makes  these  preparations  it  means  that 
he  is  intent  on  getting  ready  to  perform  these 
actions. 

If  he  stops,  sets  his  feet  squarely  and  stands 
lirmly,  he  desires  to  rear,  if  he  has  ever  done  so 
before. 

If  he  experiences  fear  wliilst  he  is  in  motion 
he  goes  erect  and  excited.  According  to  a  popular 
saying  a  horse  that  is  afraid  grows  bigger. 

Restlessness  and  a  desire  to  run  away  are  indi- 
cative of  excitement,  fear  of  man,  dread  or  displea- 
sure at  being  left  alone. 

Pawing  indicates  impatience,  disobedience,  ar- 
dour or  bad  temper. 


;i8  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

A  sudden  leap  forward  witliout  a])pareiit  cause 
means  tliat  the  horse  remembers  haviuii  heon  fre- 
quently ill-lreated  unexpectedly  from  beliind  without 
reason. 

A  desire  to  kick  or  l)ite  the  man  that  api)roa- 
ches  him,  ^vhen  it  is  not  due  to  a  vicious  character, 
denotes  that  he  has  been  ill-treated  by  the  man 
who  approached  him  before. 

To  slacken  motion  and  arch  the  back  indicate 
a  desire  to  jump  or  olfer  resistance. 

Raising  the  head  and  neck,  throwing  himself 
back  on  his  haunches  and  snorting  indicate  >\  onder, 
fear  or  a  belief  that  he  is  in  danger. 

Depressing  the  tail  may  mean  a  desire  to  kick 
or  sensation  of  fear  or  cold. 

Kicking  backwards  when  he  is  wearing  blinkers 
indicates  that  he  is  afraid  of  what  is  behind  him 
and  does  not  mind  even  hurting  himself. 

If  he  is  afraid  of  an  object  towards  which  he 
is  guided  he  holds  himself  back,  turns  ilm  head 
and  neck  towards  it  and  swerves,  looking  at  the 
object  and  not  looking   where  he  is  going  to. 

Excitement,  nervousness,  restlessness,  the  impos- 


THE    IMIND    or    THE    HORSE  39 


sibilitv  of  keei)iiig  him  quiet  by  the  conciliating' 
voice  when  hokling  him  on  foot  with  the  bridle  or 
cavesson  means  that  he  did  not  trnst  the  man  who 
first  had  charge  of  him,  that  that  man  ill-treated 
him,  or  else  that  he  has  an  excessively  nervous 
or  excitable  nature  or  experiences  great  fear. 

When  the  horse  appears  intent  in  thought  it 
means  that  he  is  meditating  making  reactions  or 
that  he  has  some  disease.  If  he  shows  pleasure  from 
Ijeing  caressed  it  means  that  he  is  not  ill-disposed 
and  if  he  does  not  show  pleasure  from  it,  it  signi- 
fies that  he  is  in  opjiosition  and  must  not  be  tru- 
sted or  that  he  is  not  accustomed  to  being  caressed 
and  does  not  care  about  it. 

His  attention  is  directed  to  only 
one  thing  at  a  time. 

There  are  some  horses  who  are  not  attentive, 
but  most  of  them  observe  all  tliat  is  going  on  around 
them.  I  remember  a  horse  who  gave  signs  of  obser- 
ving the  change  of  j>lace  of  a  wren  in  a  hedge. 

Usually  the  horse  is  attentive  to  one  thing  at 
a  time.   This  gives  us  a  means  of  conquering  him 


40  THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 


by  employinG;  vavions  aids  and  puiiisliiiicnts  siirail- 
taiieoHsly.  To  defend  oneself  aii:ainst  a  do2'  and 
prevent  attack  we  need  one  stick  to  keep  liim  occn- 
pied  and  another  stick  to  strike  him.  He  pays  at- 
tention to  the  stick  liehl  before  liim  and  in  the 
meantime  he  can  be  attacked  a\  ith  the  other  stick. 
This  is  the  secret  of  Bahissa'  s  method  of  teaching- 
horses  to  allow  themselves  to  be  shod  by  keeping 
them  occupied  with  the  cavesson  and  not  allowing 
them  to  pay  attention  to  the  man  lifting  and  liol- 
ding  their  foot. 


ThiiKjfi  he  intdersfmuls-   uafuraUij  and  icJticJt   have 
influence  upon  him. 

A  horse  of  a  really  vicious  nature  does  not 
allow  himself  to  be  affected  either  by  good  treat- 
ment or  by  punishment,  and  only  yields  to  actual 
physical  force  and  compulsion,  and  then  (mly  for 
so  lonii"  as  it  lasts.  For  this  reason  the  really  vicious 
horse  cannot  be  trained  and  cannot  be  used  for 
riding. 


THE    MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  41 

The  horse  who  is  not  yicious  likes  to  be  treated 
well,  and  i>ood  treatment  influences  hiin  to  obe- 
dience and  forms  a  means  of  masterino  him.  Oa- 
resses  on  the  eyes  and  on  the  occiput  have  a  i^arti- 
cuhir  effect  like  maonetism.  Tliev  liave  the  effect  of 
quieting  and  of  inspirini>-  trust  in  us. 

A  ijood  influence  over  the  horse  may  be  obtain- 
ed by  means  of  a  conciliatinif,  long-drawn  and 
sonorous  voice  sound  which  has  a  soothing  eflcct.  It 
is  made  ^vitli  a  long  drawn  out  oh!  A  loud,  short, 
abrui)t  and  angry  Yoice  sound  produces  the  eftect  of 
a  threat  and  keeps  him  from  desiring  to  make  a 
movement  which  is  not  proper  or  which  it  is  not 
desired  he  sliould  do.  It  is  made  with  a  short 
narrow  eh  !  Needless  to  say  voice  sounds  should  be 
avoided  except  in  training. 

Our  glance  fixed  continually  on  ]iis  eye  besides 
discerning  his  intentions  keeps  liim  attentive  and 
respectful  and  he  understands  (though  not  so  well 
as  the  dog)  whether  it  is  a  benevolent  look  meant 
to  sootlie  him  or  a  menacing  one  to  produce  an 
impression  upon  him  and  prevent  him  from  doing 
some    action.    He   must    always  be  looked  at.  The 


42  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

dog  keeps  his  eye  fixed  upon  the  eyes  of  the  game 
and  we  must  do  the  same  as  regards  the  horse.  So 
long  as  our  eyes  are  fixed  on  him  he  generally 
does  not  seek  to  attack,  if  lie  is  not  exceptionally 
vicious.  Looking  fixedly  at  an  unknown  dog  or  at 
bulls  and  wild  beasts  produces  the  contrary  effect, 
acting  as  provocation  and  arousing  them  to  anger. 
For  this  reason  they  must  not  be  looked  at  but  must 
be  passed  as  far  as  possible  without  attention,  and 
Avifhout  running  or  making  unexpected  conspicuous 
movements  which  might  call  their  attention  to  us. 

The  horse  understands  the  quieting  and  the 
threatening  gesture.  After  having  lost  the  fear  of 
man  he  becomes  sensitive  to  caresses ;  they  form  a 
pleasure  for  him  and  he  allows  himself  to  be 
reassured  by  them;  they  have  great  effect  in  sooth- 
ing him.  Caresses  above  the  eyes  and  (ui  the  top 
of  the  head  in  particular,  have  a  conciliative  and 
as  it  were  a  magnetic  influence.  They  quiet  the 
animal,  induce  in  him  a  state  of  pleasant  drowsiness 
and  inspire  him  with  aifection  for  us. 

The  companionship  of  another  horse,  or  the  sight 
of  another    horse    going  into  the  water  or  passing 


THE   MIKD    OF   THE    HOESE  43 

uear  an  object  of  fear  i.s  tlie  best  means  of  per- 
snading  him  to  do  likewise  and  tlie  best  method 
of  removing  fear  wlien  others  fail. 

The  iron  cavesson  wliich  is  made  to  work  by 
the  lonnge  has  the  greatest  effect  npon  the  horse  if 
his  nature  is  not  incnrablv  refractory,  as  the  blow 
on  the  nose  is  transmitted  to  the  brain.  This  pro- 
duces an  impression  upon  him  because  it  gives  a 
shock  to  the  brain,  wliich  is  the  seat  of  ideas  and 
will,  and  because  it  prevents  him  from  turning  his 
croup  to  us  and  attacking  us  with  his  heels,  and 
because  he  cannot  free  himself  from  our  restraining 
power  by  running  away. 

He  understands  naturally  threatening  gestures 
and  punishments  and  is  afraid  of  tliem;  menacing 
him  with  the  whip  by  showing  it  to  liim  and  stri- 
king him  with  it,  stimulates  him  to  motion  and 
causes  him  to  run  in  the  direction  opposite  to  that 
whence  he  is  threatened  or  struck.  Threats,  aids 
and  punishments  with  the  whip  employed  at  a 
suitable  moment  are  of  great  value;  they  result  in 
giving  him  the  idea  that  we  are  superior  to  him 
and  this  effect  is  so  much  the  greater  if  it  is  asso- 


44  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

dated  with  the  aids  of  the  cavesson  hy  means  of  the 
lomif/e. 

Preveiiting  him  from  followinsi:  liis  own  impul- 
ses in  whatever  manner  it  is  done  has  great  in- 
fluence in  giving  him  the  idea  of  our  superiority 
and  therefore  of  the  necessity  of  obedience.  Work 
proportionate  to  his  food  and  strength  has  an  excel- 
lent influence  in  preventing  the  horse  from  becoming 
too  full  of  spirits,  rendering  him  quieter  and  less 
susceptible  to  fear,  and  allowing  him  to  gain  strength. 

A  bad  influence  is  exercised  on  the  horse  by 
fear  with  whicli  he  is  sometimes  completely  over- 
powered so  as  to  give  no  heed  to  aids  or  punish- 
ments ;  by  the  lack  of  exercise  and  the  consequent 
excessive  exuberance  of  spirits  by  reason  of  which 
he  feels  the  need  to  prance  and  jump  and  pays  no 
attention  to  man,  having  no  respect  for  him  under 
the  excitement  of  this  need;  by  the  bad  treatment 
which  gives  rise  to  aversion  and  anger,  working 
confusion  in  his  mind  and  causing  him  to  play  the 
worst  tricks  of  self-will;  by  the  stimulus  of  the 
procreative  instinct  when  he  experiences  and  is 
overpowered  by  it. 


THE  MIND    OF   THE   HORSE  45 


He  must  be  diverted  from  yielding  to  these 
feelings  by  means  of  aids  or  punishments  and  his 
anger  must  be  removed  by  caressing  him  aud  speak- 
ing to  him  in  a  soothing  voice  and  transferring 
him  to  another  place,  as  while  he  is  under  their 
sway  it  will  be  impossible  to  do  anything  with  him. 

Effect  of  good  treatment  on  Im  nattire. 

The  conciliating  voice,  the  kind  look  and  cares- 
ses give  him  pleasure  and  have  the  effect  of  quieting 
liim,  of  inspiring  confidence  in  us  and  make  liim 
disposed  to  obedience.  To  give  him  oats  is  to  form 
another  good  association  for  ourselves  in  his  mind 
making  liim  desire  oar  presence,  which  becomes 
agreeable  to  him.  It  is  advisable  to  give  him  a  few 
handfuls  in  the  riding  school  when  he  is  first  taken 
there  as  it  puts  liim  in  a  good  frame  of  mind  and 
he  goes  there  readily.  He  would  acquire  repugnance 
for  the  riding  school  if  he  were  ill-treated  the  first 
time  he  went  there. 

The    beneficial    effect    of   good    treatment   is  to 
prompt    and    induce  him  to  make  the   movements 


46  THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 


we  desire  liim  to  perform.  Good  treatment  further 
serves  the  purpose  of  sliowing  liim  that  he  does 
well  to  make  the  movement  he  is  making-  if  it  is 
the  one  he  is  required  to  peribrm.  To  make  the 
horse  well  disposed  towards  us  and  teach  him  to 
be  glad  on  seeing  us  and  to  love  us  is  the  first 
thing  to  be  done  to  the  end  of  inducing  him  to 
do  as  we  desire. 

Ejfect  of  piumhment. 

The  fact  of  our  being  able  to  inspire  tlie  horse 
with  a  feeling  of  obedience  results  from  the  plea- 
sure he  experiences  from  good  treatment  but  also 
largely  from  the  displeasure,  fear  and  pain  he  suf- 
fers from  punishment,  frcmi  which  he  receives  the 
idea  of  our  superiority.  Eor  this  reason  the  vicious 
horse,  who  pays  no  attention  to  these  two  kinds 
of  treatment,  is  not  susceptible  of  training. 

All  the  various  punishments  applied  for  and 
associated  Avith  an  action  performed  by  the  horse 
serve  to  show  disapproval  of  it,  serve  to  tell  the 
horse  not  to  do  it,  as  they  make  him  see  that  per 


THE   MIND    OF   THE    HORSE  47 

forming  this  action  brings  him  punishment,  i.  e. 
pain,  and  this  gives  him  the  idea  of  not  performing 
the  action  so  as  to  avoid  receiving  pain.  The  special 
effect  of  the  aids  and  punishments  serving  to  excite 
him  to  motion  are  the  principal  means  of  instruction 
as  by  their  help  it  becomes  possible  to  collect  him 
and  get  him  in  liand  and  thus  to  master  him.  The 
term  inmishment  includes  threats.  Threats  are  pu- 
nishments in  a  weak  degree. 

Punishment  produces  both  fear  and  aversion  and 
as  aversion  impairs  the  harmcmy  which  sliouhl  exist 
between  the  horse  and  man,  soon  after  tlie  punish- 
ment lias  been  administered,  and  sometimes  almost 
immediately  after,  it  should  be  counteracted  and 
effaced  from  the  horse'  s  memory  by  the  conciliating 
voice  and  bv  caresses.  This  must  be  done  with 
special  attention  to  the  particular  nature  of  the  horse. 

How  to  act  on  Jiis  inind  and  feeling^-. 

The  mind  and  feelings  of  the  horse  may  be 
acted  upon  by  giving  him  sensations  and  associa- 
tions   with  things  calculated  to    call  forth  in  him 


48  THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 

the  ideas  of  the  movements  we  wish  to  teach  him 
to  do  and  calculated  to  induce  him  to  do  them 
in  the  manner  stated  in  the  chapter  How  the  horse 
learns  and  how  he  must  he  taught.  In  that  chapter 
it  is  also  explained  how  he  is  induced  not  to  per- 
form the  movements  he  would  like  to  make  bnt 
which  we  do  not  desire  him  to  make.  The  means 
to  be  employed  for  acting  npon  his  mind  are  those 
stated  in  the  paragraph  Thiuf/s  exercisinff  an  inflKence 
upon  the  horse,   and  all  the  aids  and  punishments. 


Individual  qualities  and  character. 

Santapaulina  (seventeenth  century)  was  the  tirst 
to  distinguish  and  classify  the  various  characters 
of  tlie  horse  and  to  observe  that  in  training  horses 
they  must  be  treated  differently  according  to  their 
different  dispositions.  He  established  the  fact  of  tlie 
combined  occnrrence  of  the  following  qualities  and 
of  their  opposites:  sfronr/  —  lif/ht  —  f/ood  heart  — 
sensitive:  weaJc  —  heavy  —  had  heart  —  dull.  By 
sensitive  he  means  a  jnst    dcgTce    both   of  feeling 


THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE  49 

and  of  intelligence;  by  dull  he  means  little  sensi- 
tive and  little  intelligent. 

This  classification  is  a  good  one,  l)ut  it  is  ge- 
neric and  conipi'eliends  the  mat<?rial  (jualities  of 
the  horse.  As  in  this  cliapter  I  am  speaking  only 
of  the  mental  (|ualities  I  think  it  more  logical  to 
restrict  myself  to  them  and  to  leav<?  out  the  question 
of  bodily  constitution. 

With  regard  to  his  various  mental  qualities  the 
horse  may  be  more  or  less  intelligent,  may  have 
more  or  less  memorv,  may  be  a  more  or  less  atten- 
five  observer  with  greater  or  less  cunning  and 
acuteness;  he  may  possess  a  greater  or  lesser  degree 
of  excitability  to  motion  and  his  nature  may  be 
more  or  less  good,  timid,  courageous,  irritable  or 
bad.  These  qualities  vary  in  degree  in  difterent 
horses. 

What  is  meant  by  charact^^r  or  disposition  are: 
the  qualities  of  the  will,  the  particular  degrees  of 
sensibility  and  the  various  pa^s^sions  wliicli  sway  the 
individual  and  actuate  him,  such  as  timidity,  su- 
sceptibility to  fear,  readiness  in  surrendering  to  the 
will  of  others,  resoluteness  or  determination  to  have 


50  THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE 


his  own  way  and  not  to  yield  to  the  will  of  others, 
ani^er  wliich  makes  him  resent  being  touched,  or 
respond  rebelliously  to  the  actions  of  others  towards 
liimself;  the  feeling  of  vicionsness  or  aggressiveness; 
tlie  excess  of  xjhysical  sensibility  in  any  part  of  the 
body,  or  sensitiveness  of  the  month;  the  sensation 
of  tickling,  and  excitement  induced  by  the  spurs; 
the  excess  of  excitability  to  motion  owing  to  which 
he  always  desires  to  run  and  break  away;  the  ex- 
cessive feeling  of  fear  or  dread  owing  to  which  he 
is  always  in  great  apprehension. 

The  whole  of  these  qualities  of  the  will  together 
with  the  degi'ee  of  individual  sensibility  constitutes 
the  individual  cliaracter  or  disposition  in  various 
horses,  wliich  may  be  more  (u*  less  timid,  good, 
subject  to  fear,  bold,  choleric,  vicious. 

Gaiety  and  melancholy  also  influence  their  na- 
ture and  are  qualities  Avhich  contribute  to  forming 
the  disposition.  Writers  in  the  sixteenth  century 
regarded  gaiety  as  an  advantage,  for  they  coined 
a  proverb  attributing  cheerfulness  as  a  good  quality 
to  the  liorse  and  melancholy  to  the  dog.  They  re- 
garded melanchol}  as  a  bad  quality  as  they  thought 


THE   IVUND    OF    THE    HORSE  51 

they  had  perceived  that  a  melancholy  horse  Avas 
also  inclined  to  anger.  Horses  of  different  disposi- 
tion require  correspondingly  varying  treatment  in 
training. 

The  qualities  of  bodily  structure  i.  e.  lightness 
or  heaviness,  may  he  seen  on  inspecting  the  horse 
at  rest.  But  all  the  other  (|ualities  and  especially 
the  mental  ones,  require  some  time  to  determine, 
and  the  horse  must  also  be  observed  when  ridden. 
The  character  of  some  of  them  requires  a  greater 
length  of  time  to  be  understood. 

Generally  horses  are  more  or  less  timid  and 
good  and  but  rarely  bad.  An  excess  of  nervous 
excita])ility,  wliich  always  keeps  him  in  an  excited 
or  convulsive  condition  resulting  in  a  constant  en- 
deavour to  break  away  renders  it  impossible  to  master 
the  horse  and  makes  him  dangerous  and  therefore 
unsuited  to  the  purpose  of  riding.  Some  of  these 
nervous  horses  may  be  useful  wlien  em^jloyed  alone 
and  not  in  company  with  other  horses  by  whom 
they  are  excited  to  run  and  break  away.  Others 
grow  excited  and  break  aAvay  only  if  made  to  gallop 
and  should  never   be  put  to  the  gallop.  Excessive 


52  TttE   MIND    OF   THE   HORSE 

susceptibility  to  fear  is  a  great  drawback  to  the 
usefulness  of  a  liorse  as  he  is  ready  to  take  fright 
at  everything. 

To  incur  as  little  fatigue  as  possible  is  a  general 
instinct,  but  laziness  is  particularly  bad  in  a  horse, 
as  it  is  a  negation  of  its  essential  quality,  which 
is  that  of  moving  at  the  slightest  instigation. 

The  anger  felt  by  some  horses  on  the  legs  and 
spurs  being  apj)lied  is  a  great  defect  as  it  deprives 
us  of  a  ready  and  convenient  means  of  guidance. 

There  are  strange  and  inconsistent  horses  just 
as  there  are  strange  men  who  act  in  one  way  on 
one  day  and  ditferentlv  on  the  morrow.  This  mav 
be  called  a  degree  of  insanity  just  as  in  man.  The 
morose,  moody  or  melancholy  liorse  was  in  ill 
repute  with  the  cavaliers  of  the  sixteenth  century 
as  they  thought  him  to  be  meditating  attack  and 
rebellion. 

The  horse  may  become  bad  owing  to  ill  treat- 
ment or  because  the  man  handling  him  gave 
him  opportunity  for  successful  resistance  and  thus 
tauglit  him  his  own  strength  and  the  possibility  of 
his  opposing  man.  Such  a  horse  may  have  his  dis- 


THE   MIND   OF   THE   HOESE  53 

position  obanged  if  lie  is  well  treated  and  sees 
tliat  he  is  prevented  from  having  his  own  way  and 
from  rebelling,  but  generally  it  is  a  difl&cult  thing 
to  get  him  to  obey  after  he  has  seen  that  he  has 
been  superior  to  man  and  has  conquered  him.  He 
can  only  forget  his  superiority  to  man  after  the 
lapse  of  a  good  deal  of  time  during  which  he  has 
received  judicious  treatment. 

The  horse  wliich  has  become  bad  owing  to  ill-treat- 
ment is  obstinate  and  makes  reactions  deliberatelv 
even  without  being  provoked  and  at  times  with 
the  idea  of  injuring  man,  because  lie  knows  by 
experience  that  man  is  liis  enemy  and  tliat  he  has 
ccmquered  him.  While  being  ridden  he  shows  the 
more  self-will  if  he  has  already  noted  that  he  has 
succeeded  in  throwing  his  rider,  and  he  always 
desires  to  do  so. 

He  may  be  bad  in  the  stable  owing  to  bad 
treatment  or  a  bad  dispositicm.  Tlie  liorse  Avho  is 
really  bad  by  nature  fears  neither  threats  nor 
punishments  and  attacks  deliberately,  and  man  is 
unable  to  defend  himself.  It  is  useless  running  the 
risk  of  taking  such  an  animal  in  hand  as  he  is  not 


54  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

siiitable  for  tlie  purpose  of  ridiiiu".  It  would  be  just 
tlie  same  as  takiug   the  murderer  for   one'  s  valet. 

Horses  are  usually  more  lively,  more  courageous, 
more  apt  to  rear  and  jump,  more  wilful  and 
less  disposed  to  yield  and  to  obey  than  mares. 
Mares  are  more  inclined  to  tlirow  up  the  croup 
and  less  to  rear,  are  quieter,  :i])andon  themselves 
more  easily,  are  more  readily  mastered  but  also 
more  subject  to  fear.  If  they  are  hysterical  they 
are  not  tit  for  saddle  or  carriage  use.  In  our  coun- 
tries  entires  are  in  a  state  of  continual  excitement 
which  does  not  allow  of  their  yielding  obedience. 
They  are  usually  vicious  and  dangerous. 

The  timid  horse  needs  to  be  reassured  by  con- 
tinual caressing.  Being  of  a  pliant  disposition  he 
immediately  feels  the  superiority  of  man  and  im- 
mediately surrenders  to  the  will  of  man,  obeying 
forth  with,  and  is  likely  to  become  a  go<Hl  and 
faithful  servant,  but  requires  to  be  well  treated 
or  he  will  grow  discouraged.  He  suffers  repeated 
punishment  Ayithout  a  sign  of  resistance  but  is 
confused  and  stupefied  by  it.  He  is  readily  incli- 
ned to  fear. 


THE    MIND    OF   THE   HORSE  55 

The  bold  horse  has  not  much  respect  for  man. 
He  must  he  made  to  feel  his  superiority  by  some 
punishment.  Tlie  irritable  or  angry  horse  is  excited 
by  punishment.  It  calls  forth  opposition  and  resi- 
stance in  him  and  obscures  his  mind  or  even  makes 
him  utterly  reckless.  The  easily-angered  horse  requi- 
res good  treatment  and  very  sparing  punishment. 
In  place  of  punishments  threats  should  be  employed 
and  at  times  even  these  work  harm. 

The  domestically  reared  horse  is  usually  docile, 
obeys  and  rarely  offers  opposition,  or  he  does  it 
because  man  has  provoked  him  and  has  taught 
him  to  do  so.  The  horse  which  has  been  reared 
wild,  being  used  to  liberty  usually  offers  much 
greater  opposition  before  obeying,  and  much  grea- 
ter ability  is  required  in  dealing  with  him  and 
approaching  him.  Xatures  so  bad  as  to  attack  man 
without  reason  are  of  verv  rare  occurence  in  hor- 
ses.  Still  rarer  is  the  case  of  horses  other  than 
entires,  charging  man. 


56  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

Things   that  somewhat  modify  his  mental  qualities 

and  character. 

Instruction  exercises  and  develops  the  mental 
qualities  of  the  horse  rendering  them  more  apt 
and  ready  and  making  him  obedient.  A  good  breed 
usually  brings  \Vith  it  intellectual  and  physical 
qualities,  sensibility  and  strength,  in  a  gi'eater  degree 
than  a  common  breed.  An  exception  offered  by 
some  comparatively  good  individual  of  a  poorer 
breed  does  not  alter  the  rule.  A  bad  disposition  is 
worse  in  the  specimen  of  a  good  breed  because  he 
is  more  intelligent. 

The  condition  of  wildness  due  to  good  feeding 
and  lack  of  exercise  results  in  a  nervous  restless- 
ness which  is  a  disease  and  makes  him  more  sen- 
sitive, more  excitable,  more  inclined  to  oppose  the 
orders  of  man,  more  susceptible  of  fear,  more  ready 
to  injure  man. 

The  horse  in  a  vigorous  condition  is  more  dispo- 
sed to  resist  our  will  than  the  weak  horse.  AA'ork 
and  little  food  make  liorses  quiet   and    almost    in 
sensible  to  our  aids  and  to  fear,    and    cover    their 


THE   MIND    OF   THE   HORSE  5l 

vices,  but  these  vices  reappear  if  the  horse  is  again 
given  food  and  repose.  There  is  therefore  a  great 
difference  between  riding  and  guiding  a  well  fed 
horse  of  a  good  breed  and  a  tired  and  ordinary 
horse.  This  may  be  guided  by  a  man  who  knows 
little,  by  a  boy,  although  during  a  moment  of 
fear  even  this  horse  mav  need  to  be  held  bv  a 
capable  man. 

Sensibility  also  differs  at  the  beginning  of  the 
work,  wlien  the  horse  is  well  rested,  and  at  tlie 
end  of  the  work  or  of  the  journey  when  he  is 
tired.  Tlicrefore  the  rider' s  aids  and  tlie  method 
of  guiding  ]iim  must  adapt  themselves  and  be  sui- 
ted to  these  changes  of  sensi1)ility.  In  young  horses 
a  bad  nature  or  habit  mav  l)e  sonle^^hat  modiiied 

« 

but  this  is  difficult  in  old  horses. 

Certam  mental  (jiKflifws  arc  (/cuerallt/  coupled    with 

certain  physical  ones. 

The  light  horse  is  usually  of  a  sanguine  and 
nervous  temperament,  ready  in  motion.  The  hea^y 
Inu'se  is  generally  plilegmatic  and    slow    to   move. 


58  THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE 

The  reasons  of  this  are  to  be  found  in  the  proge- 
nitors, climate  and  pasture.  The  olfspring  have 
usually  in  some  degree  the  character  of  their  sire 
and  dam.  Climate  and  pasture  iniiuence  the  body 
and  the  body  influences  the  mental  nature  of  the 
horse.  The  grass  of  moist  plains  makes  the  horse 
fat  and  this  quality  makes  him  sIoav  to  move. 
A  dry  climate  gives  lean  grass  and  makes  the 
horse  light  and  ready  in  motion. 

Attacl's  of  the  Jiorse  against  the  man 

ivho  grooms  Mm. 
Causes- —  how  they  may  he  overcome. 

The  horse  may  injure  the  man  who  grooms  him 
by  kicking,  pawing  and  by  biting.  Pawing  indi- 
cates a  more  vicious  nature  than  kicking  and  bi- 
ting is  still  worse.  He  may  attack  in  self  defence 
if  he  is  driven  to  bay  by  repeated  and  continual 
punishments  and  prevented  from  fleeing. 

Attacks  on  the  man  who  grooms  him  indicate 
a  still  more  angry  and  vicious  nature  than  attemj^ts 
against  his  rider.   The  timid  horse  flees  if  he  can 


THE"  MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  5^ 

and  defends  liimself  only  if  nnable  to  do  so  and 
after  having  been  ill-treated  for  some  time.  The 
liorse  who  is  excited  to  defend  himself  or  forced 
to  do  so  by  ill-treatment  does  it  more  or  less  well 
according  to  liis  degree  of  intelligence,  cunning  and 
sti-ength. 

The  horse  that  attacks  man  shows  by  it  that 
he  is  his  enemy.  The  reason  for  his  being  an  enemy 
to  man  and  attacking  him  may  lie  in  his  bad  na- 
ture l)ut  fortuujitely  this  is  rare.  In  general  it  is 
almost  always  due  to  his  having  been  ill-treated 
by  man.  His  beina  ill-treated  by  man  and  thus 
proAoked  gives  rise  in  him  to  the  idea  of  defen- 
ding himself  and  he  defends  himself  by  attacking. 

Whether  he  will  oiler  attack  depends  upon  his 
nature.  The  very  timid  horse  owing  to  his  great 
fear  hardly  defends  himself,  even  if  ill-treated  very 
much  and  repeatedly.  The  spirited  and  angry  horse 
attacks  directly  and  powerfully. 

Usually  on  being  attacked  by  the  horse  man 
is  afraid  and  shows  it  by  ceasing  to  ill-treat  him, 
by  withdrawing  and  escaping,  and  the  horse  un- 
derstands that  by  attacking  he  causes  the  bad  treat- 


(>0  THE   MIND    OP    THE   HORSE 

ment  of  the  man  to  cease  and  sees  himself  the 
conqueror  of  man,  and  if  this  is  repeated  a  few 
times  he  acquires  the  habit  of  attacking  whoever 
approaches  him. 

The  first  time  that  the  horse  attacks  man,  if  it 
is  not  due  to  a  bad  disposition,  he  has  a  reason, 
but  after  having  done  so  he  attacks  even  without 
motive,  without  provocation,  solely  owing  to  his 
remembering  having  been  ill-treated  and  having 
rebelled. 

Many  horses  if  they  are  not  bad  by  nature  or 
if  this  vice  is  incipient  and  not  inveterate  may  be 
dissuaded  from  attacking  by  showing  them  that 
thev  are  not  ill-treated  but  on  the  contrary  are 
treated  Avell;  by  handling  them  in  such  a  way  as 
to  avoid  their  attacks  and  thus  show  them  that 
they  do  not  succeed  in  injuring  us;  by  giving  them 
the  idea  of  (^ur  superiority  by  means  of  actions  of 

ours  calculated  to  impress  it  upon  them;  by  pre- 
venting their  attacks  and  punishing  them.  The  mere 
fear  of  punishment  is  effective  in  bringing  about 
a  cessation  of  attacks  in  but  few  horses  and  it  is 
requisite  that  good  treatment  should  be  the  prin- 
cipal means. 


THE   IVHND   OF   THE   HORSE  61 

Many  others  haviiijj^  once  found  themselvevS  su- 
perior to  man  and  having  seen  their  gi-eater  strength 
and  the  weakness  of  man  can  no  h)nger  be  per- 
suaded to  desist  from  attacks.  In  our  countries 
entires  are  generally  excited  by  their  instincts  to 
paw  and  bite  and  are  not  susceptible  of  correction. 
Some  are  bad  even  though  not  entires  but  these  are 
rare.  Many  horses  attack  if  no  attention  is  paid  to 
them  and  do  not  attack  it  they  are  being  observed. 
Others  attack  heeding  neither  menaces  nor  punish- 
ment. 

Oppo.sifions  (did  reaction's  against  ituni  (uid  rider; 
causes;  how  they  may  l)e  overcome. 

The  horse  offers  opposition  to  man  and  to  the 
rider  by  not  doing  what  the  man  or  the  rider  re- 
quires him  to  d<>  and  l)y  desiring  to  carry  out  his 
own  impulses  against  the  will  of  man  or  the  rider. 
These  oppositions  consist  in  the  wish  of  the  horse 
to  have  his  own  way;  to  stop  and  not  to  go  any 
further  when  the  man  or  the  rider  requires  him 
to  go  on ;  to  refuse  to  turn  when  man  or  the  rider 


62  THE    MIND    OF   THE    HORSE 

requires  liim  to  turn;  or  to  desire  to  turn  aside  or 
backward  a\  lien  man  or  the  rider  does  not  wish  it. 

By  the  term  making  reactions  I  understand  the 
counter-actions  of  the  horse  with  which  he  responds 
to  the  actions  of  the  man  or  rider,  that  is  to  say, 
to  their  aids  and  punishments. 

The  reactions  of  the  horse  against  his  rider 
consist  in  rearing,  throwing  up  the  croup,  jumping, 
bucking,  running  away. 

If  he  reacts  against  the  aids  only  and  not  against 
the  punishments,  the  degree  of  mental  opj)osition 
is  not  great,  but  it  is  great  if  he  reacts  against  the 
punishments.  These  reactions  may  be  carried  out 
with  more  or  less  strength  and  cunning  or  even 
Avith  the  purpose  of  throwing  or  injuring  the  rider. 

Oppositions  and  reactions  indicate  that  the  horse 
does  not  feel  obedience  to  man  or  rider  or  feels 
enmity.  This  may  arise  from  many  reasons.  From 
not  desiring  to  advance ;  from  his  having  no  respect 
for  the  aids  and  punishments  employed  to  make 
him  advance;  from  fear  of  objects;  owing  to  the 
fault  of  the  man  or  of  the  rider.  Also  from  injuries 
to  his    mouth    caused    by  the  liand;  from  choleric 


THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE  63 


disposition :  most  of  all  from  having  been  ridden 
or  nsed  before  he  has  been  taught  obedience  with 
rational  instruction. 

The  horse  begins  to  make  a  reacti(m  and  learns 
to  make  many  reactions  from  the  incai)acity  or 
impotence  of  the  rider  who  tries  to  punish  him 
and  to  conquer  him  and  instead  is  conquered. 

The  proper  aids  and  punishments  given  at  the 
right  moment  and  with  the  strength  required  by 
the  nature  of  each  individual  will  overcome  oppo- 
sitions and  reactions  in  those  horses  that  obev  them. 

The  oppositions  and  reactions  of  those  horses 
which  do  not  much  mind  punishments  may  be 
overcome,  when  they  are  not  of  a  bad  dis])osition, 
if  we  can  get  them  to  respond  to  them  and  go 
forward  decidedly  by  means  of  instruction  Avith  tlie 
lounge. 

Wlien  they  obey  the  aids  and  punishments  for 
setting  them  in  motion  and  tlie  aids  of  the  liands, 
we  can  prevent  thein  from  putting  their  bodies  in 
the  preparatory  positions  necessary  for  making  reac- 
tions and  therefore  thev  cannot  make  them. 


64  THE   MIND    OP    THE   HORSE 


Special  aptitudes. 

Every  horse  according  to  his  mental  nature, 
sensibility,  intelligence  and  his  physical  qualities, 
is  more  or  less  adapted  to  a  particular  use  or  em- 
ployment. The  employment  must  be  suited  to  the 
physical  and  moral  qualities  of  the  horse,  and  it 
must  not  be  sought  to  adapt  the  horse  to  an  em- 
ployment unsuitable  for  him.  If  the  light  horse  is 
put  to  pull  a  heavy  car  he  will  be  unable  to  do 
good  service,  and  will  suffer.  It  is  possible  to  em- 
ploy the  heavy  horse  as  a  saddle  horse,  but  he  is 
not  adapted  for  it  whilst  on  the  other  hand  the 
light  and  agile  horse  is  well  suited. 

Importance  of  a  good   disposition   and  good   mental 

qualities   in    the    horse 

for  his  instruction  and  his  serviceahleness. 

Among  the  good  mental  qualities  of  the  horse, 
the  most  important  is  a  good  disposition,  as  by 
means  of  this  the  horse  gives  in  to  us  immediately, 


THE   MIND   OF   THE   HORSE  65 

resigns  himself  to  obedience  forthwith,  and  is  con- 
trolled by  the  aid  of  this  feeling  of  obedience.  The 
body  or  mechanism  of  the  horse  renders  ns  service 
if  the  horse's  mind  directs  it  to  do  so.  It  is  im- 
possible to  obtain  service  from  the  body  if  the 
mind  is  unwilling  to  command  it.  A  good  will  or 
a  good  disposition  is  the  first  quality  required  to 
obtain  useful  service  from  the  horse,  as  in  order 
to  render  this  service  he  must  be  alloA\  ed  freedom ; 
he  cannot  do  it  like  a  galley  slave  with  the  hands 
whilst  his  feet  are  fettered. 

If  he  is  well  disposed  and  obedient,  and  willing 
by  nature,  he  will  serve  us  of  his  own  accord,  even 
if  the  structure  of  his  body  is  such  as  not  to  allow 
of  his  being  collected  and  thus  actually  coerced 
to  do  so.  If  he  has  a  bad  disposition,  even  the 
various  coercive  means  will  not  avail  to  render 
him  serviceable,  owing  to  his  unwillingness. 

With  a  bad  disposition  all  tlie  other  good  (|ua- 
lities  of  agility,  strength,  and  power  of  resistance 
remain  useless  to  us  as  he  will  not  place  them  at 
our  service.  A  horseman  of  little  ability  is  safe 
upon  a  horse  of  a  good  disposition,   and    a    horse- 


66  THE   MIND    OF    THE    HORSE 

man  of  great  ability  in  in  continuous  danger  on  a 
bad  natured  liorse. 

The  second  good  quality  is  his  willingness  to 
move,  his  advancing  or  moving  in  response  to  the 
slightest  aids.  Locomotion  is  almost  everything  in 
the  horse,  as  in  this  lies  his  serviceableness,  and 
motion  is  necessary  in  order  to  put  him  in  a  good 
position  and  collect  him  so  that  lie  may  be  me- 
chanically controlled. 

Idleness  is  the  negation  of  all  this  and  of  the 
essential  quality  of  the  horse.  It  is  at  times  due 
to  weakness  and  to  insutficient  food.  If  due  to  this 
cause  the  horse  on  first  starting  lets  us  see  that 
he  would  be  willing  to  go,  although  he  grows 
rapidly  fatigued. 

It  is  also  necessary  that  he  should  duh'  feel 
aids  and  punishments,  as  these  are  the  only  means 
we  have  of  acting  upon  him.  I  say  duly  because 
if  he  feels  them  too  mucli,  that  is  if  their  action 
upon  him  is  in  morbid  excess  they  cannot  be  used 
as  thev  would  make  him  run  a^yav,  and  if  lie  feels 
them  too  little  thev  are  of  no    avail.    Great    timi- 

« 

dity  and  fear  are  a  grave  incouA  enience  and  a  hin- 


THE   MIND    OF    THE   HORSE  67 


drance  to  usefulness.  A  certain  just  deii^ree  of  cou- 
rage is  a  good  quality  in  a  horse.  With  it  he  can, 
if  necessary,  be  made  to  go  into  danger,  l)ecause 
he  will  be  able  to  come  out  of  it.  The  more  in- 
telligence and  memory  the  horse  possesses,  the  bet- 
ter he  will  be  able  to  learn,  remember  and  exe- 
cute what  he  is  taught. 


"^  '^  ^  !^  'i^  '^  '^  '^  ip  '^  !^  '^|!  !^  'ij>  !^  '^  '^  '^^  '^ 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARXS 
AND   HOW  HE  MUST  BE  TAUGHT 


Hemark.  Vague  and  erroneous  ideas  are  gene- 
rally held  as  to  the  method  of  treating  horses.  Ri- 
ders are  often  observed  to  require  their  horses  to 
perform  an  action,  whilst  themselves  doing  that 
which  is  suited  to  induce  their  horses  to  do   the 

eontrary. 

In  order  to  obtain  what  is  desired  from  hor- 
ses, they  must  be  treated  logically  in  accordance 
with  their  nature  and  intelligence,  and  in  order  to 
be  able  to  deal  with  them  loi^icallv  it  is  necessary 
to  know  their  nature,  and  to  understand  how  they 
learn.  From  acquaintance  with  their  nature,  and 
from  knowing  how  they  learn  Ave  come  to  under- 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  69 

stand  how  they  must  be  taught  those  things  which 
it  is  desired  thev  shoukl  learn. 

Their  mental  character  is  narrated  in  tlie  pre- 
ceding chapter,  and  how  they  learn  is  explained 
in  this. 

JI<nv  the  liorse  learns. 

Everyone  has  learnt  that  after  the  lightning 
comes  the  thunder,  because  with  the  idea  of  light- 
ning he  has  associated  the  idea  of  the  thunder, 
which  immediately  followed  the  lightning.  It  is  in 
tliis  way,  by  means  of  the  association  of  the  idea 
of  one  thing,  Avhicli  is  called  forth  in  him  by  a 
sensation,  with  another  idea,  called  forth  in  him 
by  another  sensation,  that  the  horse  and  all  other 
animals  learn.  The  idea  of  thmider  was  associated 
with  the  idea  of  liyhtnimj.  The  idea  of  the  thunder 
is  the  idea  learnt,  and  the  idea  of  the  Ughtyiing 
is  that  which  has  taught  the  idea   of  the  thunder. 

Horses  do  not  understand  words,  but  they  un- 
derstand  the  sound  of  the  words  which  has  been 
repeatedly  associated  with  the  movements  they  were 


to  HOW    THE    HORSE    LEARNS 


re(iuired  to  do.  They  move  on  the  order  march, 
because    after   the    sovnd   of   this    word  thcA'    Avere 

« 

constantly  made  to  advance,  and  therefore  with 
the  sound  of  this  word  thev  associated  the  idea  of 
motion.  They  stop  at  the  command  hdlt,  because 
on  the  sound  of  halt,  they  were  constantly  stopped, 
and  witli  the  sound  of  halt  thev  associated  the  action 
of  stopping'. 

Thev  understand  that  it  is  intended  to  iiive  them 
oats  from  seeinu'  in  hand  tlie  oat  sieve  in  whicli 
they  Avere  usually  i^iAcn  them  because  they  haAc 
associated  the  givini*"  of  oats  with  tlie  taking-  in 
hand  of  the  sieve.  Thus  with  the  action  of  taking- 
hold  of  the  bucket,  they  have  associated  the  idea 
of  drinkiuii',  aiul  thev  neiiih  if  thev  are  thirstv. 
Thus  they  understand  the  bugle  call,  Avhich  precedes 
their  being  fed,  because  having  been  constantly  fed 
after  the  Inigle  call  they  Ikiac  associated  the  being- 
fed  Avith  the  sound  of  the  bugle. 

Learning  by  association  extends,  according  to 
the  dearee  of  intellii»:ence  and  of  individual  memorv 
of  the  horse,  to  the  more  or  less  minute  or  con- 
spicuous circumstances    of   actions,  objects,   places, 


HO^V   THE    HORSE   LEARNS  71 

and  time  (or  succession)  whicli  accompany,  or  whicli 
are  associated  with  an  action  or  a  deed,  and  which 
made  an  impression  on  their  senses  of  sight,  hear- 
ing, touch  and  smell.  This  learning  is  easier  if 
the  actions  or  the  circumstances  which  are  asso- 
ciated with  the  thing  to  be  learnt  are  more  con- 
sjjicuous,  and  therefore  make  a  greater  impression 
and  if  they  are  associated  with  a  pleasure  <n-  a  pain. 

We  have  also  learnt  the  reason  why  the  thunder 
is  caused  by  the  lightning,  but  the  horse  cannot 
attain  to  this.  He  stops  at  the  mere  association,  at 
the  simple  fact  of  th(^  two  things  being  associated 
with  each  other  and  very  often  erroneonsh  thinks 
that  of  the  two  things,  however  iissociated,  one  is 
the  cause  of  the  other,  although   it  is  not. 

If  he  is  afraid  of  an  object  and  refuses  to  pass 
it,  and  is  therefore  punished,  he  associates  the 
punishment  with  the  object  which  inspires  him 
Awth  fear,  and  on  seeing  ancAv  the  object  which 
made  him  afraid,  expects  to  be  punished  again, 
because  he  has  associated  the  punishment  with  that 
object,  and  believes  the  object  to  be  the  cause  of 
the  punishment.  Owing  to   having  been  beaten  in 


72  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

face  of  an  object  which  inspired  him  with  fear, 
he  believes  the  object  of  fear  to  be  the  cause  of 
the  punishment,  and  thinks  that  the  re-appearance 
of  the  object  before  his  eyes  will  cause  the  re-ap- 
pearance of  the  punishment  likewise.  Thus  by  ha- 
ving beaten  him  in  front  of  an  object  of  which 
he  was  afraid,  he  has  been  inspired  with  a  second 
fear,  that  of  punishment. 

The  horse  is  not  capable  of  distinguishing  that 
he  was  punished  because  he  would  not  pass  the 
object,  and  not  because  he  was  afraid.  He  may  get 
to  understand  that  he  is  punislied  because  he  will 
not  pass  an  object,  which  awakens  fear,  after  having 
been  made  to  pass  many  times  by  caresses  near 
many  other  objects  of  which  he  was  afraid,  but  this 
must  not  be  relied  on,  because  the  idea  of  fleeing 
the  object  which  makes  him  afraid  is  natural  to 
him,  and  this  idea  may  be  stronger  than  any  other, 
and  dominate  him. 

In  general  the  mere  association  and  the  mere 
occurrence  of  one  or  more  circumstances  together 
with  some  thing  or  action  done  to  him,  or  acci- 
dentally happening  to  him,  is  regarded  as  a  cause 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  73 

by  him.  The  object  that  awakens  fear  in  him  is 
considered  by  him  to  be  the  cause  of  the  punish- 
ments Avhich  are  inflicted  upon  him  in  face  of  that 
object.  In  instructing  horses  careful  attention  must 
be  paid  to  the  fact  that  they  always  regard  as  the 
cause  of  a  thing,  another  thing  associated,  no  matter 
how,  although  it  may  not  be  the  true  cause. 


How  Tie  rememhers. 

We  need  many  repetitions  in  order  to  remember 
the  associations  we  have  experienced  because  we 
are  occupied  and  distracted  by  many  ideas.  The 
mental  world  of  the  horse  is  limited  to  the  ideas 
of  his  surroundings,  of  what  he  sees  and  hears,  of 
what  is  taught  him,  of  what  he  has  acquired  the 
habit  of  doing,  to  the  ideas  which  are  suggested  to 
him  by  the  necessity  of  satisfying  his  material 
wants,  his  instincts,  and  to  the  place  in  which  he 
is  living. 

Generally  the  horse  is  attentive  to  and  observes 
all  the  objects    which    surround    him   and  all  that 


now    THE    HORSE    LEARNS 


happens  around  liiin,  and  well  remembers  the  im- 
pressions and  associations  lie  experienced  from  them 
proportionately  to  the  de.i*^ree  of  their  intensity.  He 
remembers  particularly  well  those  places,  those  oc- 
currences, those  tilings  and  those  circumstances, 
Avitli  which  were  associated  objects  or  facts  from 
which  he  experienced  good  or  evil,  or  which  gave 
him  the  sentiment  of  fear,  as  it  is  his  instinct  to 
seek  pleasure  and  tlee  pain  and  ilee  that  which 
inspires  him  with  fear,  and  these  things  make  the 
greatest  impression  on  him. 

He  remembers  the  road  that  leads  homewards, 
i.  e.  to  his  stable,  and  for  this  reason  he  goes  more 
willingly  on  returning  than  on  leaving  home.  The 
post  horse  goes  straight  along  his  road  and  pays 
little  attention  to  the  things  that  he  sees  because 
he  knows  that  his  road  leads  to  his  stable  and  is 
intent  on  running  in  order  to  arrive  at  the  stable ; 
he  is  less  susceptible  to  fear  on  his  own  road  than 
on  another  which  he  does  not  knoAV. 

If  he  has  been  caressed  and  had  oats  given  him 
in  any  place,  he  returns  to  it  very  aa  illingly  as  he 
expects  to  receive  these  things  ancAV.  If  after  haA'ing 


HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS  75 


performed  a  luovemeut  which  lie  has  been  taught 
to  luake,  he  was  caressed  and  iiiven  oats,  lie  is 
incited  to  do  it  once  more  as  lie  expects  aneAV  ca- 
resses and  oats  after  havin<i'  done  it.  If  dnring  a 
Journey  lie  was  stopped  at  a  place  and  given  fo(Kl, 
on  ])assing  there  again  he  stops  of  his  own  acc(n'd 
because  he  recalls  to  mind  tlie  association  of  rest 
ami  food  with   which  the  place  is  connected. 

Immediately  after  Darius  had  agreed  with  the 
Satra[»s  liis  companions,  that  t\w  liorse  which  lir^jt 
neighed  should  decide  who  should  be  king,  he  sent 
his  horse  to  the  place  agreed  upon  the  day  before, 
and  there  made  him  encounter  a  mare.  On  the 
following  day  on  arriving  at  the  place  agreed  upon, 
his  horse  neighed  forthwith  because  he  remembered 
tlie  mare  he  had  seen  there  the  day   before. 

The  tirst  time  that  preparati<ms  are  made  to 
give  medicine  to  the  liorse,  he  renniins  quiet  be- 
cause he  does  not  kno^v  what  is  being  prepared  for 
him,  but  the  second  time  he  grows  extremely  exci- 
ted and  rebellious  as  soon  as  he  sees  the  bottle 
brought  out.  The  bottle  became  associated  with 
the  medicine  which  he  was  forced  to  take. 


76  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

He  remembers  the  places  and  circumstances  in 
which  he  was  punished  or  ill-treated,  and  on  seeing 
them  again,  remembers  the  punishments  associated 
with  them  and  becomes  apprehensive  of  fresh  pu- 
nishment and  may  show  oppositions  or  reactions. 
If  he  was  ill-treated  in  the  vicinity  of  some  object, 
on  seeing  it  again  he  expects  to  be  ill-treated  afresh. 
Eor  this  reason  he  does  not  wish  to  go  to  the  far- 
rier if  he  was  ill-treated  by  him  or  by  others  at 
the  forge  and  does  not  wish  to  allow  himself  to 
be  shod  if  he  was  once  ill-treated  whilst  being- 
shod.  For  this  reason  also  he  will  not  raise  his  foot 
if  he  was  ill-treated  whilst  being  forced  to  raise  it. 
If  he  was  beaten  while  hearing  some  noise  or 
sound  or  immediately  after,  he  is  so  much  the  more 
afraid  when  he  hears  that  noise  again  because  he 
remembers  the  ill-treatment  associated  with  it. 

He  well  remembers  the  actions  he  was  able  to 
carry  out  of  his  own  will  in  any  given  place  or 
any  given  circumstances,  and  on  being  anew  in 
the  same  position  desires  to  carry  them  out.  If 
while  in  the  stall  he  succeeded  in  getting  loose, 
lie  seeks   to  do  so  every    now    and  again.  If  after 


HOW   THE   HORSE    LEARNS  77 


getting  loose  he  found  the  place  where  the  hay  or 
oats  were  kept,  he  seeks  to  get  loose  every  now 
and  again  in  order  to  go  back  there  and  eat.  If 
passing  along  the  road  which  he  knows  leads  to 
his  stable,  he  has  succeeded  in  going  there  against 
the  will  of  the  man,  Avhen  he  reaches  the  point 
where  he  has  been  able  to  do  so  once  he  always 
wishes  to  go  there. 

If  in  a  giyen  place  or  from  a  given  object  the 
idea  of  fear  was  suggested  to  him  and  he  was  able 
to  swerve  or  turn  back,  he  always  wishes  to  turn 
back  on  that  spot  or  on  seeing  that  object  again. 
He  wishes  to  swerve  again  and  turn  back  because 
he  liad  been  able  to  do  so,  because  the  idea  and 
remembrance  of  his  liaving  been  able  to  do  so  re- 
mained with  him.  For  this  reason  it  is  of  the  ut- 
most importance  to  prevent  the  horse  from  doing 
as  he  would  like  and  to  give  him  no  opportunity 
for  doing  so. 

The  memory  of  tlie  associations  already  expe- 
rienced is  in  some  liorses  extraordinary.  Horses 
have  been  seen  to  recognise  the  road  along  which 
they  have  j)assed  once  only,  and  that  a  long  time 


78  HOW   THE    HORSE   LEARNH 

before.  Horses  have  been  observed  to  be  ill-treated 
by  a  man  once  only  and  a  long  time  after  recog- 
nise him  and  rnn  towards  him  to  avenge  them- 
selves. 

Some,  if  they  have  had  a  powerful  impression 
of  fear  under  certain  circumstances,  have  the  idea 
of  fear  suggested  to  them  even  under  circumstan- 
ces not  identical  but  having  some  resemblance  Avith 
the  former.  On  many  occasions  the  idea  of  fear 
returns  to  them  even  without  motive  if  the  fear 
they  experienced  was  great,  because  owing  to  its 
having  been  great  it  returns  to  their  minds  even 
without  external  circumstances  recalling  it  to  them. 

How  he  judges. 

The  horse  forms  his  judgments  from  the  good 
and  evil  he  receives  through  his  mental  associations. 

He  judges  to  be  good,  i.  e.  beneficial  to  him,  that 
with  which  was  associated  the  satisfaction  of  his 
needs  or  a  pleasure. 

He  judges  to  be  had  or  an  evil  for  him  that 
with    which  Avas  associated  the  prevention  of  the 


HOW   THE    HORSE   LEARNS  79 

satisfaction    of   his    natural    wants    or  wliicli  irives 
him  sensation  of  uneasiness,  pain  or  fear. 

He  judges  in  this  way  because  it  is  an  in- 
stinctive law  with  all  animals  that  they  should 
seek  pleasure,  i.  e.  things  whicli  procure  tliem  sen- 
sations of  pleasure  and  allow  them  to  satisfy  their 
natural  wants  —  which  satisfaction  is  accompanied 
by  a  sensation  of  pleasure  —  and  should  flee  pain, 
i.  e.  ilee  the  things  which  give  them  sensations  of 
uneasiness,  real  physical  pain  or  fear,  which  are 
accompanied  by  a  sensation  of  displeasure  or  pain, 
and  those  which  preyent  them  fyom  satisfying  their 
natural  and  instinctiye  wants. 

These  are  the  criteria  of  his  judgments.  He  jud- 
ges f/ood  the  man  who  gives  him  food  and  drink 
and  caresses  him  and  is  useful  to  him  in  any  way 
and  gives  him  pleasure,  and  he  loves  and  wishes 
for  that  man.  He  judges  h((d  the  man  wli(»  pre- 
vents him  from  satisfying  his  natural  wants,  who 
ill-treats  him  and  gives  him  associations  of  pain, 
and  he  dislikes  him,  seeks  to  flee  him  if  lie  is  timid 
and  to  resist  and  attack  him  if  he  is  spirited. 

From  this  fact  arises  the  necessity  for  us,  if  we 


80  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

desire  to  derive  utility  from  the  horse,  to  treat  him 
well,  to  associate  good  treatment  with  our  persons 
so  that  he  may  get  the  idea  that  we  are  a  benetit 
to  him,  and  that  he  may  come  to  and  remain  w  il- 
lingly  with  ns.  This  predisposes  and  persuades  him 
to  obedience,  renders  his  mastery  easy,  and  dimi- 
nishes  his  susceptibility  to  the  feeling  of  fear,  as, 
neyer  having  been  rendered  afraid  by  us  by  bad 
treatment,  he  takes  fright  less  readily  at  the  objects 
he  does  not  know,  and  more  easily  overcomes  and 

7  t. 

gets  rid  of  such  fear,  if  it  has  arisen,  on  our  ca- 
ressing him,  and  this  is  a  great  advantage  as  the 
horse  is  so  prone  to  fear 

Good  and  had  associations. 

As  has  been  said  the  horse  deems  good  those 
things  with  which  is  associated  a  pleasure  for  him, 
and  deems  bad  the  things  with  which  is  associated 
a  pain  or  threat  of  pain  or  fear.  In  this  respect 
we  have  it  within  our  power  to  give  the  horse 
good  or  bad  associations,  i.  e.  associations  of  j^lea- 
sure  or  pain,  but  we  should  give  good  associations 


HOW   THE   HORSE    LEARNS  81 

or  those  of  pleasure  to  the  things  we  desire  him  to 
do,  so  tliat  he  may  he  induced  to  do  tliem,  and 
we  shouhl  uive  had  associations  or  tliose  of  disph^a- 
sure  and  pain  to  those  thinifs  whicli  he  does  and 
we  do  not  wish  him  to  do,  so  that  he  maj'  he  in- 
duced not  to  do  them. 

In  order  to  render  it  easy  for  us  to  teach  and 
for  the  horse  to  learn,  we  shouhl  tirst  and  foremost 
give  liiin  (io(kJ  associations  with  ourselves  in  relation 
to  him  hx  treating  him  well,  so  as  tt»  dispose  him 
to  give  us  his  attention  and  so  that  his  will  may 
he  hrought  to  do  what  we  desire,  and  we  should 
avoid  tn'ating  him  hudhf  so  that  he  should  not 
take  a  dislike  to  us  and  hate  us  and  become  op- 
posed to  us,  and  revolt  against  us. 

If  we  treat  him  well,  if  we  caress  him,  if  we 
give  him  something  to  eat  Avhicli  he  likes,  we  in 
his  mind  avSS<K'iate  with  our  person  the  idea  of  being 
a  benefit  to  him,  he  learns  not  to  fear  us,  to  re- 
main with  us  willingly,  he  acquires  confidence  in 
us  and  becomes  disposed  to  obey  us. 

If  we  illtreat  him,  we  associate  in  his  mind 
Avitli  our  person  an  idea   of  evil  to  him,  we  give 


6 


82  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

him  the  idea  of  aversion  to  us,  of  fleeing  from  us, 
of  hatred,  of  resisting  us  as  enemies  and  of  attack- 
ing us. 

Associations  which  increase  fear  and  associations 

which  diminish  it. 

If  an  object  gives  rise  in  the  horse  to  the  idea 
of  fear,  the  feeling  of  fear  and  therefore  the  idea 
of  fleeing  from  it,  these  ideas  always  remain  asso- 
ciated with  the  object  of  fear  and  on  seeing  the 
object  of  fear  again,  these  ideas  revive.  If  whilst 
the  object  calls  forth  in  the  horse  the  idea  of  fear, 
the  feeling  of  fear  and  the  idea  of  fleeing,  we  ill- 
treat  him  and  punish  him,  we  cause  the  punish- 
ment to  be  associated  in  his  mind  Avith  the  object 
of  fear,  and  the  sight  of  the  object  of  fear  again, 
in  addition  to  reviving  the  fear,  calls  forth  in  him 
again  the  apprehension  of  being  once  more  ill-treated 
and  punished.  By  associating  the  punishment  with 
the  object  of  fear,  the  fear  of  the  object  has  been 
increased  and  another  fear  has  been  given  him,  the 
fear  of  punishment. 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  83 


If  whilst  he  sees  the  object  of  fear  and  has  re- 
called to  mind  the  idea  of  fear  of  it,  no  harm  is 
done  to  him,  and  he  is  caressed  with  soothing  words, 
and  we  put  ourselves  between  him  and  the  object 
of  fear,  the  association  of  these  good  offices  tends 
to  diminish  the  fear  and  inspire  him  with  courage. 
Placing  our  person  between  the  horse  and  the 
object  of  fear  produces  on  him  the  impression  as 
of  defending  him  from  the  object  of  fear.  If  con- 
stantly, on  seeing  objects  which  inspire  him  with 
fear,  these  good  offices  are  applied,  and  these  good 
associations  given  him,  the  horse  in  time  is  brought 
to  think  that  he  is  not  right  to  be  afraid  as  these 
objects  do  him  no  Iiarm  but  cause  him  good.  This 
tells  us  how  we  ought  to  treat  fear  in  horses  and 
in  all  animals. 

Associations  calculated  to  slioiv  the  horse 

our   superiority   and   to   teach    him    ohedience, 

and  associations  which  ma  Tee  the  horse 

understand  his  strenffth  and  teach  him  disobedience. 

In  our  dealings  with  the  horse  the  acts  we  per- 
form towards  him  and  the  acts  he  performs,  give 


84  HOW    THE    HORSE    LEARNS 

liim  avssociations  favourable  eitlier  to  his  being  obe- 
dient or  to  his  being  disobedient. 

All  our  actions  and  all  those  acts  Avhich  coini)el 
the  horse  to  do  what  we  wish  or  prevent  him  from 
doing  what  he  would  wish,  give  liim  associations 
suited  to  teach  him  obedience. 

All  our  actions,  all  those  deeds  on  our  part 
which  allow  the  horse  to  do  what  he  wishes,  which 
do  not  succeed  in  preventing  him  from  carrying 
out  his  desires,  give  him  associations  v\  liich  teach 
him  disobedience. 

If  the  horse  wishes  to  go  to  the  stable  and  Ave 
prevent  him  from  going  there,  the  association  acqui- 
red bv  the  horse  from  this  fact  is  that  we  are 
superior  to  him,  and  that  we  have  compelled  him 
to  yield  his  determination  to  ours,  and  he  conse- 
quently acquires  the  idea  of  obedience  to  us. 

If  the  horse  wishes  to  go  to  the  stable  and  suc- 
ceeds in  going  there  notwithstanding  our  oi)positi<)n, 
the  association  acquired  by  the  horse  from  this  fact 
is  that  he  is  superior  to  us,  that  he  has  been  able 
to  carry  out  his  own  desire  in  opposition  to  us, 
and  he  has  acquired  from  it  the  idea  of  disobe- 
dience to  us. 


HOW   THE    HORSE    LEARNS  85 

As  we  are  to  command  the  liorse,  it  should  be 
seen  that  the  associations  obtained  by  the  horse 
from  our  actions  and  circumstances  and  tilings 
which  happen  to  him  should  be  associations  Avhich 
teach  him  obedience  and  not  disobedience. 

We  must  avoid  f/iviuf/  fife  Iwrse  associafions  coiifravif 

to  our  purpose  of  control finf/  him,  i.  e. 

(jiving  him  associations  which  make  him  understand 

that  he  is  stronr/er  than   we  are, 

that  he  can  do  (fs  he  Irishes  in  opposition  to  our  will, 

and  which   teach  him  disobedience. 

Our  Gontrolliny  power  is  an  imttfiinart/  power 
and  the  horse  can  be  withheld  bv  it  onlv  for  so 
long  as  he  believes  it  to  be  superior  to  him.  Care 
must  be  taken  to  retain  this  imaginary  power  by 
not  allowing  oursehes  to  be  oyercome.  We  must 
be  very  careful  to  avoid  guiding  the  horse  or  al- 
lov>ing  him  to  come  by  chance  into  positions  and 
circumstances  Avhich  nniv  give  him  associations 
contrary  to  the  mavStery  we  should  have  over  him, 
wiiich  might  give  him  occasion  to  see  and  to  un- 


80  HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS 


(lerstand  that  he  is  stronger  than  ns  on  foot  and 
when  ridden,  that  he  can  rnle  instead  of  obeying. 
When  once  he  has  seen  this  it  is  verv  difficult  to 

t.' 

remove  it  from  his  mind  and  obtain  service  from 
him. 

In  the  generality  of  cases  liis  determined  will 
to  perform  an  action  against  our  a\  ill  under  given 
circumstances  of  place  and  time  is  due  to  our  ha- 
ving been  opposed  to  him  and  to  his  having  been 
able  to  perform  it  notAvithstanding  our  opposition, 
when  it  is  not  due  to  fear.  His  memorv  recalls  to 
him  the  association  received  from  his  having  been 
able  to  make  this  action  under  such  circumstances 
in  spite  of  our  opposition,  and  when  the  same 
circumstances  present  themselves  he  wishes  to  make 
it  again.  The  determined  will  to  perform  a  certain 
action  is  called  the  vice  of  performing  this  action. 

In  order  that  he  should  not  acquire  any  of 
these  bad  associations  detrimental  to  us,  namely 
seeing  that  he  is  stronger  than  we  are,  that  he  can 
do  the  opposite  of  our  will,  care  must  be  taken 
that  he  should  not  tind  himself  so  placed  Jis  to  be 
tempted  to  do  as  he  desires,  and  the  attempt  should 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  87 

never  be  made  to  prevent  what  he  wishes  to  do  if 
we  are  not  in  a  position  and  have  not  the  means 
of  absolutely  preventing  it. 

If  owing  to  the  time  or  place  or  other  circum- 
stances we  are  not  in  a  position  or  we  doubt  being 
able  to  overcome  him,  it  is  better  to  let  him  have 
his  own  way  than  to  allow  him  to  see  that  he  over- 
comes us.  This  is  the  reason  why  he  should  be 
ridden  out  of  the  riding  school  only  when  he  is  in 
an  obedient  frame  of  mind  and  can  be  dominated. 

His  having  been  able  to  perform  an  action  of 
his  own  will  against  the  will  of  man  which  op- 
posed him  and  was  unable  to  prevent  it  is  the  worst 
of  the  associations  which  can  be  given  to  the  horse. 
Saying  no,  and  yet  allowing  them  to  do  the  thing 
forbidden  is  in  the  case  of  children  and  men  an 
incitement  to  do  what  is  prohibited.  Nearly  all  the 
rebellious  acts  of  the  horse  arise  from  his  having 
acquired  the  experience  of  being  able  to  act  in  spite 
of  the  opposition  of  man. 

If  a  horse  has  by  his  own  desire  turned  to  go 
to  the  stable  and  had  not  been  prevented  or  could 
not   be    prevented,  no  attempt  should  be  made  to 


88  HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS 

prevent  liiiii  from  doinc^  so,  but  he  must  be  allowed 
to  go.  ^Vftei*  that  he  must  with  cayesson  and  loun- 
ges be  led  out  again  to  the  point  where  he  turned 
back  to  the  stable  and  a  man  or  more  men  must 
be  there  ready  witli  whips  to  force  him  away  and 
to  compel  him  to  follow  the  men  who  draw  him 
away  with  the  lounges  so  that  he  cannot  return 
to  his  stable. 

Tf  he  has  already  acquired  the  yice  of  returning 
to  tlie  stable  or  turning  backwards  at  a  giyen  poiitf 
of  the  road  this  ifoinf  must  l)e  passed  several  times 
a  day  for  several  days  and  he  must  always  ])e 
prevented  from  turniiig  until  he  sIio^a  s  that  he  no 
longer  wishes  to  turn  and  it  no  longer  c<mies  into 
his  mind  to  turn. 

Care  must  be  taken  not  to  give  him  associa- 
tions contrary  likewise  to  wliat  it  is  desired  to  do 
(U'  what  he  is  required  to  do.  A  contrary  associa- 
tion to  recapturing  a  runaway  horse  is  the  running 
behind  him  as  running  behind  him  excites  him  to 
run  more.  In  order  to  capture  the  escaped  horse 
we  must  renuiin  quiet  when  he  is  paying  attention 
to  us  and  approach  very  sioAvly  when  he  is   occu- 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  89 

pied  ^^ith  sometliing-  else  stopping  again  each  time 
he  begins  to  pay  attention  to  us  or  to  listen. 

Tlie  vice  of  backing  on  our  appearing  before 
hiiu,  on  our  attempting  to  pull  him  forward,  is  due 
to  its  liaving  l)een  attempted  to  pull  liim  forward 
by  main  force,  or  to  his  having  been  ill-treated  or 
punished  by  someime  standing  in  fi-ont  (if  him  lie- 
cause  he  would  not  go  forward  thus  giving  him  an 
association  contrary  to  coming  forward.  This  is  c<m- 
trary  to  the  most  elementary  step  required  in  his 
teaching,  \vhicli  is  that  of  going  forw  ard,  of  follow- 
ing, feeling  himself  invited  to  advance  ))y  pulls  at 
the  reins  or  lounge  intermittently. 

I  remember  a  rider  whose  horse  sto[)ped  and 
refused  to  go  because  he  ill-treated  him  in  the 
mouth  with  tht^  hands.  AVhen  the  Inn-se  stood  still 
he  did  not  punish  him.  He  punii-hed  him  instead 
with  hands  and  spurs  Avhen,  after  a  while,  he  started 
again.  That  rider  did  not  understand  that  by  doing 
this  he  told  the  horse  that  to  stand  still  was  good 
and  to  go  on  was  bad. 

The  horse  learns  to  throw  up  his  croup  and 
kick  on  being  touched  witli  the  spurs  from  seeing 


90  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

that  his  rider  does  not  know  how  to  prevent  him 
by  promjitly  giving  raising  aids  with  the  hand  and 
from  the  fact  that  the  spnrs  cease  to  be  applied 
when  lie  tlirows  up  liis  croup.  Thus  the  horse  learns 
that  by  throwing  up  the  croup  he  causes  his  rider 
to  cease  applying  the  spurs. 

For  many  horses  the  fuct  of  having  heen  afraid 
of  an  object  and  having  heen  lynnished  or  hurt 
before  it  once  onlv  suffices  for  them  to  remember 
it  always  and  always  fear  it,  and  to  tliink  that  the 
re-appearance  of  the  object  will  cause  the  recur- 
rence of  the  punishments  or  the  evil  experienced. 
Eor  this  reason  they  should  not  be  punished  in  the 
presence  of  an  object  which  frightens  them  and 
care  should  be  taken  that  tliev  should  not  be  hurt 
by  any  object. 

Another  most  important  rule  in  teaching  and 
managing  horses  is  not  to  use  continual  physical 
force  in  order  to  compel  them  to  perform  any  mo- 
vement, as  this  inspires  them  with  great  fear  and 
at  times  depression,  and  excites  them  to  revolt,  and 
if  owing  to  superior  physical  force  they  are  com- 
pelled to  3  ield,  they  readily  understand  that  when 


HOW   THE    HORSE    LEARNS  91 

the  material  force  is  absent  they  caunot  be  com- 
pelled  to  do  it  and  will  not  do  it.  In  like  way  the 
anger  of  an  easily  angered  horse  must  not  be  aroused 
by  j)unishment  because  this  excites  him  to  yiolent 
reactions. 

With  horses  mistakes  must  not  be  made  with 
respect  to  associations,  they  must  not  be  giyen  as- 
sociations which  are  bad  or  against  us  or  the  actions 
it  is  desired  to  teach  them  to  do,  because  much 
effort  is  required  afterwards  to  oyercome  them  and 
to  make  them  forget  haying  been  the  victors. 

With  the  foal,  until  the  moral  ascendant  has 
been  gained  over  him  by  which  he  is  made  to 
obe}^  willingly  Ave  must  avoid  furnishing  him  with 
occasions  which  tempt  him  to  perform  actions  of 
his  own  volition.  It  is  necessary  to  avoid  turning 
round  at  the  same  point  in  a  road  several  times 
successively,  in  order  not  to  give  him  the  idea 
that  at  that  point  he  has  finished  his  work  and 
must  turn  back;  instead  the  roads  must  be  varied. 
We  must  avoid  passing  near  the  stable  when  it  is 
not  desired  to  put  him  there,  and  if  it  is  necessary 
to  pass  that  way  either  have  sufficient  mastery  over 


92  HOW   THlIl   HOUSE   LEARNS 

him  to  prevent  him  going  in  or  have  a  man  or 
more  men  ready  wlio  by  threats  and  punishments 
prevent  him  and  make  him  go  on. 

The  vices  of  kicking,  of  biting  and  of  not  al- 
h)Aving  the  bridle  to  be  put  on  by  raising  the  head 
are  for  the  most  part  caused  by  bad  and  contrary 
associations  which  the  man  in  charge  of  the  horse 
has  himself  given  him  by  ill-treating  him  when 
doing  these  things,  and  the  horse  is  not  to  blame. 
The  horse  acts  according  to  what  he  sees  and 
what  is  done  to  him. 

The  vice  of  kicking  is  rarely  due  to  a  bad  na- 
tural disposition.  Usually  it  is  learnt  in  the  follo- 
wing way.  The  man  who  grooms  him  in  the  stable 
suddenly,  without  a  previous  voice  sound  of  warning, 
strikes  the  tiank,  or  the  croup,  or  the  hind-legs  of 
a  horse  in  order  to  make  him  go  aside.  The  horse 
perhaps  does  not  know  how  or  is  not  accustomed 
to  going  on  one  side,  or  else  is  of  a  timid,  nervous 
or  choleric  nature  and  kicks.  The  man  shows  that 
he  is  afraid  by  running  back  and  the  horse  directly 
learns  that  by  kicking  he  makes  the  man,  his  enemy 
who  beats  him,  run  away,  and  that  kicking  is  the 
means  of  making  the  man  cease  beating  him. 


HOW   THE    HORSE    LEARN&!  03 

Biting  is  soon  learnt  by  the  horse  who  feels 
tickling  behind  the  second  bone  of  the  shoulder, 
in  the  flanks,  or  on  the  front  and  interior  part  of 
the    haunches.    The   liorse    is   touched  bv  the  man 

« 

who  grooms  liim  and  wlio  usually  takes  amusement 
in  exciting  the  horse  by  rubbing  him  in  the  part 
where  he  feels  the  tickling  irritation;  the  horse  na- 
turally revolts,  and,  by  threatening  to  bite,  seeks 
to  reply,  in  order  to  put  an  end  to  the  excitement 
to  which  he  is  being  subjected.  The  man  excites 
him  more  instead  of  ceasing  to  do  so  and  then  the 
horse  bites.  The  man  shows  liimself  to  be  intimi- 
dated bv  this  and  ceases  to  touch  him  and  Avitli- 
draws,  and  the  horse  has  learnt  that  by  biting  he 
causes  the  annoyance  of  tickling  inflicted  on  him 
bv  the  man  to  cease.  These  thini»s  were  not  invcn- 
ted  l)v  tlie  horse  but  were  learnt  bv  him  because 
the  man  Avho  had  cliarge  of  him  taught  them  to 
him  bv  bad  associations  unfavourable  to  himself. 
Biting  is  learnt  still  more  easily  if  tlie  man  in 
charge  punches  or  kicks  the  horse  in  the  belly,  and 
if  in  putting  on  the-  saddle  instead  of  pulling  the 
girth  straps  gradually  he  tightens  them  by  jerking 


94  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

pulls.  Touching  liim  unexpectedly  without  warning 
him  first  with  the  Yoice  may  also  frighten  him  and 
excite  him  to  kick  and  hite. 

The  horse  who  has  learnt  to  kick  and  bite  be- 
cause the  man  who  had  charge  of  liim  has  ill- 
treated  him,  is  readily  inclined  to  think  that  every 
man  who  approaches  him  wishes  to  ill-treat  him 
and  rightly  judges  that  it  is  better  to  prevent  this 
by  placing  himself  first  on  the  defensive  and  attack- 
ing the  man. 

Another  man  who  should  subsequently  have 
charge  of  that  horse  would  need  some  time  to  per- 
suade him  that  he  does  not  desire  to  ill-treat  him 
as  his  predecessor  did.  He  would  have  to  use  great 
skill,  care  and  caution  in  moving  round  him  in 
order  to  avoid  being  attacked,  whilst  by  conti- 
nually giving  the  horse  good  associations  in  con- 
nection with  his  person  and  continually  treating  him 
well  the  horse  little  by  little  gro^vs  to  understand 
and  persuade  himself  that  he  does  not  desire  to  do 
him  any  harm;  but  in  the  meantime  he  will  be  in 
danger  of  attack. 

If  the  man  wishes  to    persuade  the  horse  that 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  95 

he  does  not  wish  to  do  him  any  harm  he  mnst 
remain  quiescent,  never  do  anything  to  him  and 
only  be  intent  on  passing  round  him  in  such  a 
way  as  to  avoid  being  attacked.  If  he  were  to  lose 
patience  once  only  and  to  punish  the  horse  because 
he  tried  to  attack  him,  he  would  no  h)nger  be  able 
to  persuade  him.  Only  after  much  time  in  which 
he  has  treated  liim  Avell  he  can  threaten  him  with 
his  voice  and  give  him  a  single  punishment. 

With  horses  it  is  not  anger  but  judgment,  pa- 
tience and  an  idea  of  justice  which  are  required. 
Whoever  does  not  desire  to  treat  them  in  accor- 
dance with  this  rule  should  not  be  allowed  to  have 
charge  of  horses  because  he  will  make  them  acquire 
vices. 

The  unwillingness  of  the  horse  to  allow  the 
bridle  to  be  luit  on  or  to  lower  the  head  for  anv 
other  purpose  arises,  in  the  following  way.  The 
man  seeks  to  i)ull  the  head  down  in  a  rough  way 
by  material  force  and  the  horse  becomes  afraid 
and  raises  it;  the  man  loses  patience  and  hits  him 
on  the  neck  or  on  the  head,  and  the  horse  be- 
comes so  much  the  more  afraid  and  raises  the  head 
so  much  the  more. 


96  HOW    THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

His  nnwillingness  to  allow  the  crupper  to  be 
put  on  is  likewise  due  to  it  having  been  attempted 
by  force  and  without  any  gentleness,  and  to  ill- 
treatment  on  account  of  his  having  been  excited 
or  afraid  to  allow  it  to  be  put  on ;  and  the  more 
then  he  is  ill-treated  the  greater  will  be  liis  fear  of 
alloAving  it  to  be  put  on. 

Thus  punishments  are  associated  with  the  action 
it  is  desired  that  the  horse  should  perforin  or  with 
what  we  would  wish  to  do  to  the  horse,  and  by 
this  means  the  horse  is  told  iK)t  to  do  it  and  not 
to  allow  it  to  be  done.  People  attribute  the  l^lame 
for  this  to  the  horse  and  do  not  see  that  it  is  their 
fault  or  the  fault  of  whoever  had  charge  of  the 
horse  before  them. 

An  example  of  a  wrong  association  is  in  the 
following  ancient  fable.  A  dog  bit  a  man.  The  man 
was  afraid  and  gave  him  bread  in  the  idea  that 
the  dog  would  bite  him  no  more.  After  this  fact 
the  dog  bit  everybody  in  order  to  have  bread  be- 
cause he  had  learned  that  biting  procured  him 
bread. 

The    bread   given  on  the  act  of  biting  was  an 


HOW    THE    HORSE   LEAKNS  97 


association  of  approbation    with    biting  and  was  a 
mistaken  association,  contrary  to  man. 

The  moral  of  the  fable  is  that  a  premium  ought 
never  to  be  given  to  evil  doings.  On  the  contrary 
they  must  be  severely  punished  as  impunity  is  an 
inducement  to  crime. 


He  must  he  taught  in  the  same  wat/ 
that  he  learns  of  himself. 

Just  as  the  horse  learns  by  way  of  associating 
the  idea  of  one  thing  with  tlie  idea  of  another, 
the  idea  of  one  action  with  the  idea  of  another 
action,  so  we  should  teach  him  by  giving  liim  these 
associations  through  objects  or  deeds  or  through 
our  behaviour,  these  being  adapted  to  give  rise  in 
him  to  the  ideas  of  the  movements  we  desire  to 
teach  him  to  do,  and  couple  witli  these  associations 
one  or  more  movements  on  our  part  whicli  invite, 
induce  and  compel  him  to  perform  the  actions  it 
is  desired  to  teach  him. 


98  HOW   THE   HOR«E   LEARNS 


In  order  to  teacli  him  the  movement  of  going 
forward  at  the  sonnd  of  the  voice  which  it  is  de- 
sired to  use  as  a  signal  to  put  him  in  motion,  to 
make  him  advance,  short  intermittent  pulls  are 
made  with  the  lounge  which  are  invitations  to  in- 
duce him  to  advance  and  to  them  is  associated 
that  sound  of  voice  and  if  he  does  not  understand 
or  does  not  wish  to  advance  the  association  of 
menace  or  of  having  him  touched  with  the  whij) 
behind  is  added.  In  this  way  we  give  him  tlie 
association  of  the  voice  sound  which  is  to  be  the 
signal  for  advancing  with  the  action  of  advancing 
to  perform  which  he  is  invited  by  intermittent  pulls 
with  the  lounge  and  compelled  by  threats  or  the 
use  of  the  whip  behind. 


The  means  of  teaching  are  the  various 
aids  and  punishments. 

The   means    of  teaching    him    are    the    various 
aids   and   punishments    whicli  we  must   apply    for 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEAKNS  99 


the  purpose  of  givinj^  rise  iu  liim  to  tlie  ideas  of 
the  acts  we  desire  liiin  to  do,  of  explaining  them 
to  liini,  making  him  understand  them  and  indu- 
cing him  to  make  the  movements  we  wisli  and 
not  to  make  those  movements  we  do  not  wish. 
The  aids  and  punishments  likewise  serve  to  show 
<'pproval  or  dmqyproval  of  the  movements  he  makes 
as  will  be  stated  below. 

The  aids  and  punishments  used  on  foot  are :  —  a 
conciliatory  voice  sound  oh  !  —  a  threatening  short 
abrupt  voice  sound  eh  !  —  caresses  —  a  kind  look 
or  a  threatening  look  —  gesture  aids  by  showing 
the  whip  or  threatening,  or  striking  with  it  — 
aids  and  punishments  with  the  cavess(m  tlirough 
the  lounge. 

The  aids  and  punishments  given  on  horseback 
are  —  ])y  means  of  the  reins  —  with  the  riding 
whip  —  with  the  legs  —  by  the  weight  of  the  rider's 
body  —  and  with  the  spurs.  —  These  aids  and 
punishments  must  be  applied  in  accordance  with 
his  mental  constitution  and  physical  structure. 

It  is  understo(jd  that  any  one  who  teaches 
horses   ought    to    have    studied  the  rules    for  their 


100  HOW    THE    HORSE    LEARNS 

application    in    the    right    way    and    at    the    right 
moment. 


Punishments  and  caresses  in  teaching. 

Punishments  are  not  suited  to  teaching.  Their 
purpose  is  to  induce  and  to  compel  the  performance 
of  or  refraining  from  any  action.  In  teaching,  tlie 
punishments  in  order  to  induce  or  compel  the  per- 
formance of  the  action  taught  should  be  applied 
with  great  discernment  and  very  sparingly  as  they 
may  easily  render  the  horse  over  timorous  or  excite 
aversion  to  us  and  to  the  actions  it  is  desired  to 
teach  him,  and   also   anger   and  attempts  to  react. 

In  teaching,  the  fact  of  the  horse  not  making 
the  movement  we  wish  him  to  make  is  generally 
due  to  his  not  understanding  or  having  physical 
difficulty  in  making  it  with  his  body  because  lie 
has  made  it  a  few  times  or  not  at  all  before,  or 
is  not  sufficiently  prepared  for  it.  This  should  not 
be  punished.  A  puni.shment  may  be  given  wlien  he 
knows  well  what  is  required  of  him    and    is    able 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  101 


to  do  it  and  ivill  not  do  if,  but  a  threat  is  suffi- 
cient in  most  cases.  Sucli  refusal  on  the  part  of  the 
horse  is  of  rare  occurrence  and  does  not  take  place 
if  he  has  been  taught  by  gradation  and  preparation. 
With  most  horses  it  is  necessary  to  give  them  time 
to  understand  which  action  is  required  and  to  learn 
to  carry  it  out  in  proportion  to  their  intelligence. 
It  must  not  be  demanded  that  they  should  learn 
immedi(de1ii ,  that  they  should  perform  direefJf/  and 
at  tlie  very  moment  when  it  is  sought  to  make 
tliem  understand  the  action  they  are  required  to 
go  through. 

Conciliatorv  words  and   caresses  should   on  the 

« 

other  hand  be  used  without  stint  almost  continuously 
iu  order  to  keep  their  mind  well  disposed  to  learn 
and  as  a  sign  of  approval,  as  a  reward,  and  to 
prevent  the  occurrence  of  opposition  and  anger. 
As  was  already  mentioned  caresses  on  the  eyes  and 
on  the  occiput  have  a  particular  effect  like  ma- 
gnetism. Tliey  have  the  effect  of  quieting  and  of 
inspiring  trust  in  us. 


102  HOW    THE    Hf)RSE   LEARNS 


Wai/  of  muMmj  the  horse  under  si  <ind  that  he  is  desired 

to  perform  or  not  to  2^^rform  an  actum 

and  inducing  him  to  2>f'rform  or  not  to  i)erform  it. 

Associations  of  jdcasure  or  of  apjiroval 

and   associations   of  jmin    or   disapiwoval. 

The  instinct  implanted  in  animals  causing  them 
to  seek  pleasure  and  flee  fear  and  pain,  to  feel 
pleasure  on  being  caressed,  to  feel  fear  and  pain 
on  being  threatened  and  struck,  gives  us  the  means 
of  telling  the  horse  to  make  those  movements  v\e 
wish  him  to  make  and  of  inducing  him  to  make 
them,  and  of  telling  him  not  to  make  those  move- 
ments we  do  not  wish  him  to  make  and  inducing 
him  not  to  make  them. 

He  is  induced  to  think  that  it  is  good  for  him 
to  make  a  movement  we  wish  him  to  make,  and  is 
induced  to  make  it  b}^  accompanying  it,  associa- 
ting it  and  causing  it  to  be  followed  immediately 
by  a  thing  which  gives  him  pleasure. 

He  is  induced  to  think  that  it  is  bad  for  him 
to  perform  an  action  he  does  and  wishes  to  perform, 


HOW  THE  HOESE  LEARKS  103 


aud  which  we  do  not  wish  him  to  do,  aud  is  induced 
not  to  do  it  by  accompanying-  it,  associating'  it  with 
and  causinii'  it  to  be  foUowed  wtmediatelt/  by  a 
thin.i^'  or  an  act  which  i>ives  him  fear  or  pain. 

The  horse  is  induced  to  come  to  us  by  showing 
him  oats,  i.  e.  a  pleasure  and  a  benefit  to  him,  by 
giving  them  to  him  and  by  caressing  him  when 
he  comes  to  us. 

He  is  induced  to  run  away  from  us  or  fiom  a 
place  where  he  Avould  wish  to  go  by  threatening 
him  or  striking  him  with  the  whip,  i.  e.  by  making 
him  experience  fear,  pain  or  evil. 

The  horse  is  caressed  in  order  to  make  him 
well  disposed  and,  by  any  means  Avhatever  and  in 
anv  wav  whatever,  it  is  sou£»ht  to  induce  him  to 
make  the  movement  required.  Imimduitehj  on  his 
making  it  he  is  caressed  and  the  caresses  are  ac- 
ctmpanied  by  the  conciliatory  voice  sound,  oh ! 
Thus  the  idea  is  given  him  tliat  by  making  this 
movement  he  obtains  caresses,  i.  e.  a  pleasure.  He 
can  be  given  something  to  eat  which  he  likes,  but 
even  caresses  and  soothing  words  are   sufficient. 

If  he  makes  a  movement  which  he  is  not  de- 


104  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

sired  to  make  he  is  threatened  with  a  loud,  short 
and  angry  voice  sound  eh !  and  by  gesture,  and 
to  this  is  added  a  punishment  if  necessary,  and  thus 
he  is  given  the  idea  that  the  performance  of  such 
an  action  produces  threats  or  punishments  for  him, 
i.  e.  the  threat  of  pain,  or  pain  itself. 

The  association  of  the  conciliatory  voice  sound 
oh !  of  a  kind  look  and  caresses,  i.  e.  of  j)leasure, 
with  an  action  he  performs  means  to  him  approvaJ. 

The  association  of  the  short  angry  voice  sound 
eh  !  of  menace,  or  of  a  punishment,  i.  e.  pain  with 
an  action  he  performs,  means  to  him  dimpproval. 
He  easily  remembers  it  and  at  times  once  onh'  is 
sufficient. 

When  the  horse  performs  a  movement  we  wish 
him  to  perform  he  must  be  immediately  made  to 
know  that  he  does  well  by  doing  so,  by  our  signi- 
fying approval  with  a  conciliatory  voice  sound,  a 
kind  look  and  caresses. 

When  the  horse  does  a  movement  we  do  not 
wish  him  to  do  he  should  be  immediately  made  to 
know  that  he  is  not  doing  well  by  so  doing,  by 
means  of  a  sign   of   disapjn-oval,  by   a   threat,   by 


HOW    THE   HORSE    LEARNS  105 


an  angiy  voice,  by  a  threatening  look  or  gesture 
or  by  punishment,  and  by  preventing  him  from 
making  it  if  it  is  a  movement  that  we  can  mate- 
rially prevent.  This  is  necessary  in  order  that  he 
should  know  what  he  must  and  must  not  do. 

At  the  smallest  act  of  obedience  which  he  does 
at  our  requirement  he  must  be  given  signs  of  ap- 
2Jroval  by  a  conciliatory  voice  sound,  a  kind  look, 
caresses  and  these  things  give  him  likewise  the 
idea  of  their  being  a  reward  for  having  done  it. 

Giving  him  an  interval  of  rest  after  having 
obtained  the  performance  of  an  action  from  him 
gives  him  the  idea  of  relief  and  of  pleasure  asso- 
ciated with  the  performance  of  the  action,  and  ma- 
kes him  think  that  after  having  executed  that 
movement  it  will  be  given  to  him.  —  Intervals  of 
rest  give  relief  to  the  body  and  also  to  the  mind  and 
prevent  weariness.  —  Letting  him  lower  his  head 
and  neck  after  having  kept  them  in  good  position 
gives  him  a  sense  of  pleasure  and  is  a  reward  to 
him  for  having  allowed  his  head  to  be  placed  in 
good  position.  —  Another  reward  is  the  freeing 
of  his   head    after   he  has    made    some  movement 


lOU  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEAHNS 


required  and  u'ivino-  him  some  time  of  rest  before 
requiring   liiiii  to  do  it  at>aiii. 

At  every  movement  lie  makes  wliieli  we  do  not 
wisb  liim  to  make  lie  should  immedinfehj  be  given 
signs  of  d'lsajyproval y  of  threat  by  voice,  look,  gesture 
or  punishment.  This  however  depends  on  the  in- 
dividual mental  nature,  i.  e.  the  disposition  of  the 
horse,  and  must  be  done  moderatelv  and  bv  de- 
grees  after  having  acquired  the  confidence  of  the 
horse.  We  should  not  hasten  to  punish  everything 
that  the  foal  does  but  should  see  whether  it  is  a 
case  fiU'  punishment  by  reason  of  the  time  and 
place  and  whether  it  is  possible  and  expedient  in 
.  view  of  the  consequences  which  may  be  foreseen. 
He  must  alwavs  be  oiven  time  to  understand  and 
be  persuaded  by  flattery  to  do  what  is  desired. 

In  order  to  induce  the  horse  to  perforin  an 
action  which  gives  him  no  pleasure  or  for  which 
he  has  a  dislike  the  idea  of  fear  and  innmhment 
is  employed  if  he  does  not  perform  it,  and  he  is 
given  the  idea  of  avoiding  a  gTeater  evil  the  pu- 
nishment, by  doing  it;  or  we  may  give  repeated 
small   aids   of   the    cavesson,  of  the    hand    or   the 


HOW    THE    HOB8E    LEARNS  10 'i 


whip  which  are  small  punishments  until  he  per- 
forms it  and  cease  to  apply  them  immediately  on 
his  doini»'  so.  The  positions  of  his  body  which  he 
is  made  to  assume  by  means  of  the  veiiis  and  the 
louuc^e  are  thus   obtained. 

The  first  disapprovnl  must  be  shown  by  means 
of  more  or  less  angry  voice  sound,  threatening 
gesture  and  menace  with  the  whip,  and  not  by 
punishment.  Punishment  must  be  resorted  to  after 
the  threats  have  failed  to  make  an  effect.  The 
lounge  is  best  adai)ted  for  showing  (lmtp))rovaI,  as 
it  does  not  excite  reactions  as  does  the   whip. 

Necessary  conditions  in  order  that  the  horse 

may  learn. 

In  order  that  the  horse  mav  learn  what  we 
teach  him  the  following  things  are  necessary : 

that  the  horse  should  give  us  his   attention ; 

that  he  should  be  well  disposed  mentally ; 

that  he  should  have  confidence  and  trust  in  us ; 

that  he  should  have  acquired  the  idea  of  obey- 
ing us; 


/ 


/ 


/1 08  HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS 

/ 

/  tliat  the  association  o/*  ^^/erf,s?fre  or  of  }}a%n^  i.  e. 

of  approval  or  disapproval,  should  follow  immedia- 
tely on  the  action  he  performs  which  is  to  be  ap- 
proved or  disapproved; 

that  the  associations  which  are  given  him  in 
order  to  teach  him  to  make  the  various  movements 
should  be  of  things  that  he  knows  and  understands 
and  should  be  adapted  to  give  rise  in  him  to  the 
ideas  of  tlie  actions  which  it  is  desired  to  teach 
him; 

that  the  body  of  the  horse  should  be  prepared 
to  make  tlie  movements  it  is  desired  to  do,  so 
tliat  he  may  execute  them  and  be  brought  to  per- 
form them  by  degrees,  in  order  that  they  should 
not  be  difficult  to  him  and  should  therefore  not 
arouse  him  to  oppositions  and  reactions. 

Attention. 

It  is  necessarv  that  tlie  horse  should  ^ive  his 
altention  to  us  in  order  to  understand  the  associations 
given  to  him  for  tlie  purpose  of  giving  rise  in  him 
to  the  ideas  we  desire  with  a  view  to  making  him 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  109 


learn.  For  this  reason  he  should  be  instructed  in 
an  enclosed  place  where  he  does  not  see  other 
horses,  where  he  has  no  opportunity  for  paying 
attention  to  other  things,  save  his  instructor,  which 
things  may  give  rise  in  him  to  other  or  contrary 
ideas.  If  he  is  intent  on  other  things  he  cannot 
pay  attention  to  his  teacher  and  cannot  learn. 

His  mental  condition  must  be  that  of  tranquility, 
he  must  not  be  under  the  influence  of  fear  or  of 
natural  instinct,  or  of  anger  against  us.  Under  the 
influence  of  these  things  he  is  dominated  by  them, 
he  cannot  pay  attention  to  the  actions  it  is  desired 
to  teach  him,  he  seeks  to  make  oppositions  and 
reactions  and  he  cannot  learn. 

Confidence. 

The  possession  of  confidence  in  us  by  the  horse 
is  liis  believing  and  his  being  persuaded  that  we 
do  not  wish  to  do  liim  any  harm,  that  lie  will  not 
receive  liarm  from  us,  that  he  sliould  not  be  afraid 
of  us,  that  be  may  trust  us.  Confidence  in  us  is 
obtained  from  the  horse  by  letting  him  experience 


110  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

for  a  certain  time   that   from  us  he  receives  good 
and  not  evil. 

This  belief,  this  state  of  mind  of  the  horse, 
renders  him  tranquil,  gives  him  the  possibility  of 
being  attentive,  and  the  willingness  to  obey,  and 
prevents  him  to  be  excited  to  anger  and  therefore 
resistance;  it  is  therefore  the  first  thing  to  be 
taught  to  the  horse  in  order  that  he  should  con- 
sent to  do  what  we  desire. 

If  in  place  of  being  cmifident  in  us  he  is  afraid 
of  us  and  fears  us,  if  he  is  in  a  state  of  mental 
revolt,  his  thought  is  to  escape  or  to  respond  by 
violence,  to  attack,  not  to  pay  attention  and  be 
inclined  to  obedience,  and  if  he  does  obey  he  does 
so  unwillingly  because  he  believes  himself  mate- 
rially compelled,  and  he  is  readily  inclined  to  take 
fright  at  everything.  That  the  horse  should  have 
conjidence  in  the  person  teaching  him  is  the  most 
neoessan/  thing  in  order  to  be  able  to  teach  him 
and  to  allow  him  to  learn.  Everything  is  obtained 
easily  from  the  horse  if,  from  having  let  him  see 
constantly  that  it  is  not  desired  to  do  him  harm 
or  to  compel  liim  by  continual  physical  force,  his 
confidence  has  been  acquired. 


HOW   THE    HORSE    LEARNS  111 


Confidence  is  obtained  from  the  horse  by  trea- 
ting him  well.  The  good  treatment  we  adopt  to- 
wards him  associated  in  his  mind  witli  onr  person, 
gives  him  the  idea  that  we  are  of  benetit  to  him, 
that  he  may  trust  us,  and  may  rely  on  us.  It 
cannot  be  obtained  by  using  severity  and  api)lying 
punishment  at  the  very  beginning  when  commen- 
cing to  teach  the  liorse  and  Avlien  the  horse  does 
not  yet  know  us.  If  it  is  desired  to  obtain  a  favour 
ft-om  some  one  wlio  does  not  know  us  we  do  not 
begin  by  beating  him,  but  on  tlie  contrary  T)y 
doing  pleasing  and  grateful  things  to  him  in  order 
to  acquire  liis  favour. 

Ohedience. 

Being  in  ohedimiee  means  feeling  tlie  moral 
necessity  of  doing  that  which  is  required  and  indi- 
cated in  order,  too,  tliat  no  evil  may  arise  from  not 
doing  so.  Ohedience  implies  refcpect,  resj)cct  implies 
f^iWy  fear  implies  .sKperioriti/,  .superioritj/  implies 
(freater  poii^et'  which  can  compel,  which  can  inflict 
punishment  if  the  thing  commanded  is  not  done, 
and  hence  the  idea  of  yielding  to  superior  force. 


112  HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS 

In  order  to  be  able  to  teach  liim  it  is  absolu- 
tely necessary  that  the  horse  should  have  the  idea 
of  obedience.  If  the  horse  has  not  this  idea  of  sii- 
periority,  of  respect  for  us,  if  he  does  not  fear  us, 
does  not  know,  does  not  see  that  we  can  give  him 
jjunishment,  i.  e.  pain,  when  we  need  to  compel 
him  to  do  what  we  wish  done,  we  are  deprived 
of  the  means  of  mastering  him.  The  idea  and  feeling 
of  obedience  are  suggested  to  the  horse  from  gi- 
ving him  the  idea  of  our  superiority,  from  letting 
Iiim  see  that  we  can  prevent  him  (in  what  way 
does  not  matter)  from  doing  his  own  will,  that  we 
can  threaten  and  inflict  punishment,  i.  e/pain,  on 
him  if  he  does  not  do  what  we  tell  him  to  do. 

The  idea  of  our  superiority  is  not  innate  in  the 
horse.  The  horse  when  wild  lias  only  an  instinctive 
fear  of  man  which  makes  him  flee  from  us  preci- 
sely because  we  are  the  worst  of  all  the  beasts. 
In  order  to  give  him  the  idea  of  our  superiority 
flireats  or  punishments  should  sometimes  be  used. 
The  resort  to  threats  or  punishnwtits  i.  e.  giving  him 
pain,  makes  liim  see  our  superiority  but  gives  him 
likewise  the  idea  of  dislike  to  us,  which  is  running 


HOW   THE    HOESE   LEARNS  113 


counter  to  the  confideuce  lie  should  have  in  us. 
Therefore  he  shoukl  be  shown  our  superiority,  made 
to  see  that  he  can  be  prevented  from  doing  as  he 
woukl  wish  but  with  the  least  possible  amount  of 
menace  and  punishment. 

Punishment  before  his  trust,  i.  e.  his  confidence, 
has  been  obtained,  is  misunderstood  by  the  horse 
and  regarded  as  bad  treatment,  and  tends  to  make 
liim  regard  us  as  enemies.  Therefore  until  the  trust 
of  the  liorse  has  been  acquired  punishments  should 
not  be  intiicted  save  in  extreme  necessity,  and  if 
we  are  compelled  to  use  menaces  and  any  punish- 
ment we  must  always  shortly  after  make  peace 
again  and  caress  him,  and  never  leave  him  for 
any  length  of  time  Avith  the  idea  of  dislike.  This 
must  always  be  done  shortly  after  the  punishment, 
and  at  latest  at  the  end  of  the  lesson,  and  he 
should  not  be  allowed  to  go  to  the  stable  with  the 
idea  of  aversion  to  us. 

The  prevention  of  wrong  actions  performed  by 
the  foal  should  be  by  very  gentle,  graduated  stages, 
every  now  and  again.  One  should  not  hasten  to 
punish  every  little  thing  meriting  disapproval  be- 


8 


114  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

cause  he  does  many  of  these  things  before  being 
taught,  and  tlien  would  have  to  be  punished  con- 
tinually and  by  this  means  we  should  make  him 
take  us  for  enemies  and  he  Avould  become  despe- 
rate and  revolt  or  would  become  accustomed  to  the 
punishments  and  these  would  no  longer  produce 
any  effect  on  him.  On  the  contrary  many  things 
must  be  tolerated  and  allowed  to  pass.  The  punish- 
ment should  be  a  rare  shade  bringing  out  into 
greater  relief  the  light  of  caresses.  His  seeing  that 
when  he  obeys  he  is  caressed  gives  greater  value 
to  the  rare  punishment,  and  diminishes  the  effect 
of  producing  aversion  inherent  in  punishment. 


The  associations  of  jjleasure  or  airproval 
should  follotc  immediately  on  the  action  jjcrformcd 

and  reqtm'cd  to  be  2)erformed,  and  the  associations 

of  2^ffi'i^   or   disapproval    should   follow    immediatelt/ 

on  the  action  performed  and  not  required. 

He  would  be  unable  to  understand  them  if  these 
associations  were  given  some  time  after,  and  after 


HOW   THE    HORSE   LEARNS  115 

other  things  had  happened.  If  thunder  were  heard 
some  time  later,  and  after  other  things  had  hap- 
pened, the  horse  Avouhl  not  be  able  to  associate  it 
with  the  idea  of  lightning,  would  l)e  unable  to 
understand  tliat  lightning  and  thunder  involve  an 
idea  of  succession,  of  cause  and  effect.  This  is  the 
reason  why  the  association  of  pleasure  should  al- 
ways follow  immediatelif  on  the  action  performed 
and  required  to  be  performed,  and  the  association 
of  pain  immcdiafely  on  that  performed  and  not 
required.  The  i>unisliment  being  associated  Avith 
his  action  which  he  is  not  desired  to  perform,  his 
action  comes  to  be  regarded  by  him  as  the  cause 
of  the  j)i^wi'*'lii^^iit?  and  in  order  not  to  receive 
the  punishment,  which  to  him  is  an  evil,  he  con- 
ceives the  idea  of  not  performing  the  action  which 
gave  rise  to  tlie  punishment. 

Many  persons  do  not  punisli  the  horse  who  has 
performed  some  bad  action  whilst  on  horseback, 
and  puiiish  him  after  they  have  returned  home. 
The  cases  a\  ill  be  verv  rare  in  whicli  the  horse  can 
take  these  punishments  for  punishments.  He  will 
almost  alwavs  take  them  for  ill-treatments  without 


116  HOW   THE    HORSE   LEARNS 

reason,  and    they    will   not    correct   liini,  but   will 
only  anger  him  and  provolce  him  to  revolt. 


I7ie  associations  which  are  f/iven  him  for  the 
purpose  of  teaching  him  the  actions  tve  desire  to  teach 
him  to  jyerform  should  be  —  of  things  that  his  intelli- 
gence can  understand  —  in  the  wag  he  can  understand 
them  —  and  of  things  suited  to  give  rise  to  the  ideas 
of  the  actions  we  desire  to  teach  him  to  2^^^'form, 
to  make  him  imderstand  what  we  wish  him  to  do.  — 
The  same  associations  should  always  he  used  to  in- 
dicate the  same  actions,  and  the  movements  it  is  de- 
sired to  teach  him  should  he  those  which  his  body 
COM  make,  and  for  the  making  of  which  it  has  heen 
prepared. 

The  actions  it  is  desired  to  teach  him  should 
be  associated  firstly  with  things  that  he  understands 
naturally  or  things  which  he  has  already  learnt. 
He  himself  understands  being  drawn  forward  by 
short  intermittent  pulls  with  the  lounge  which  are 
invitations   to   go   forward  from  the  association  of 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  117 


being  threatened  from  behind  by  a  whip,  and  so 
he  learns  to  go  forward. 

Whilst  he  makes  this  movement  of  coming  for- 
ward, we  associate  with  it  a  given  sound  of  voice, 
and  he  learns  that  this  sound  of  voice  means  that 
he  is  to  go  forward.  He  could  not  be  required  to 
understand  the  sound  of  the  voice  given  as  a  signal 
or  an  order  to  advance  without  it  having  been  first 
taught  him  in  association  with  the  intermittent  pulls 
on  the  lounge  which  draAV  him  forward  simulta- 
neously with  the  aid  of  the  whip  which  threatens 
him  behind. 

I  repeat  here  what  I  have  said  elsewhere  that 
voice  sounds  necessary  in  teaching  should  be  dis- 
continued when  the  instruction  is  complete. 

Signals  and  aids  should  be  used  which  are  un- 
derstood by  his  intelligence.  He  does  not  understand 
words,  but  understands  the  various  sounds  of  the 
voice  or  other  special  sounds  associated  with  dif- 
ferent things  and  different  movements.  The  same 
aids  of  anv  kind,  the  same  sounds  of  the  voice 
and  the  same  punishments  should  always  be  asso- 
ciated with  the  same  actions  so  that  he  may  re- 
member them. 


118  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 


A  given  sound  of  the  voice  should  always  be 
associated  with  and  used  to  direct  him  to  advance. 
Another  sound  of  the  voice  to  stop  and  halt. 

The  movements  he  is  taught  should  be  those 
which  his  body  can  make,  and  not  contrary  to  his 
mechanical  structure.  It  is  also  necessary  that  he 
should  have  some  little  aptitude  for  Some  actions 
it  is  desired  to  teach  him,  and  that  his  body  should 
be  gradually  prepared  to  perform  them  by  suitable 
graduated  exercises,  so  that  he  should  not  experience 
much  difficulty  in  performing  them. 

All  that  is  t might  him  should  be  taught  a  little  at 

a  time  hy  g^mdation  and  after  preparation  of  his  hody. 

These  things  are  also  necessary  hecatise 

their  absence  may  cause  oj^positions  and  reactions. 

The  absence  of  preparation  of  the  body  and 
gradation  in  teaching  is  the  cause  of  oppositions. 
By  teaching  him  a  little  at  a  time,  he  is  enabled 
to  learn  and  remember.  Teaching  him  many  things 
together  and  in  succession  causes  confusion.  Teach- 
ing  a   little    at  a  time    and    alternating  rest    and 


HOW   THE   HORSE    LEARNS  119 


instruction  are  necessary  in  order  that  the  horse 
may  not  become  wearied,  grow  fatigued  and  rebel. 
It  is  necessary  to  pass  from  the  easier  to  the  more 
difficult  by  gradations  so  that  he  should  not  find 
difficulty  in  doing  it. 

In  order  that  the  horse  may  be  able  to  use  his 
body  pliantly,  and  place  it  in  the  positions  which 
are  inconvenient  to  him,  but  which  are  necessary 
for  the  various  evolutions,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
mastering  him,  and  that  he  may  have  no  reason  to 
rebel  and  revolt  from  these  causes  against  the  aids, 
which  we  must  give  him  so  as  to  bring  him  in 
such  positions,  it  is  necessary  that  his  body  should 
be  prepared  for  them  first.  It  is  necessary  to  render 
him  supple  by  gradation  that  he  may  place  himself 
in  the  required  positions  without  experiencing  phy- 
sical pain  which  would  excite  him  to  oppositions 
and  reactions.    ' 

Santapaulina  a  noblemen  of  Naples  (1696)  spe- 
cifies the  causes  of  the  resistance  on  the  part  of 
the  horse  to  performing  an  action  as  follows:  — 
his  not  Moiving  how  —  his  not  being  willing  — 
and  he  says  justly    that    the    latter    alone   can  be 


120  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

punished.  To  this  may  be  added  his  feeling  that 
pain  is  being  caused  to  his  body  and  this  may 
even  be  regarded  as  the  jji-incipal  cause  of  his 
not  being  willing.  This  is  the  reason  for  the  neces- 
sity of  teaching  the  horse  by  gradation  and  stages 
so  that  he  may  learn  to  place  himself  in  the  va- 
rious positions  and  make  the  various  movements 
without  feeling  pain  in  the  legs  or  body.  If  he  is 
to  learn  to  make  them  promptly  and  well,  this  is 
another  reason  for  teaching  them  by  gradation. 

If  his  body  is  not  gradually  prepared  to  assume 
the  various  positions  and  take  up  the  various  pos- 
tures required  for  the  different  evolutions,  and  he 
is  put  into  them  without  preparation,  he  has  dif- 
ficulty and  is  excited  to  make  oppositions  and  reac- 
tions the  more  so  if  we  want  to  force  him  bv 
punishment. 

By  powerful  aids,  well  applied  it  is  jjossible  to 
succeed  in  controlling  some  horses  even  when  un- 
prepared and  not  rendered  pliant,  and  forcing  them 
to  make  some  evolutions  and  movements.  But  their 
aversion,  resistance  and  revolt  are  excited  because 
pain  is  caused  to  their  body,  and  if  their  good  nature 


HOW   THE    HORSE    LEARNS  121 

does  not  cause  tliem  to  rebel,  their  legs  suffer  from 
it.  It  should  uot  be  done,  in  order  to  spare  the 
horse. 

That  which  it  is  desired  to  teach  him  to  do 
should  come  of  itself,  such  is  the  gradation  which 
must  be  employed,  and  must  always  be  accompa- 
nied by  flatter}"  and  caresses  so  that  the  horse 
should  not  become  tired,  should  not  become  impa- 
tient and  should  not  grow  angry. 

The  first  time  that  he  is  taught  any  action  it 
is  sufficient  if  he  understands  it  and  does  it  even 
badly  and  in  a  bad  position ;  this  does  not  matter, 
he  will  improve  it  afterwards.  All  the  actions  which 
he  is  taught  to  do  should  be  first  taught  in  an 
easy  position  with  liis  head  low  and  tlien  in  a 
better  position,  first  at  a  walk  and  afterwards  at 
a  trot  and  gallop. 

Success  in  obtaining  many,  not  to  say  all  actions 
from  the  horse,  of  course  within  certain  limits, 
depends  on  knowing  how  to  prepare  his  bod}'  in 
the  mechanical  positions  adapted  to  perform  them. 
If  it  is  desired  to  raise  a  foot  by  taking  hold  of 
and  pulling  the  leg  whilst  the  horse  has  the  weight 


122  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEAENS 

of  his  body  on  it,  it  would  be  very  difficult  to 
succeed  in  lifting  it  even  witb  great  strength  ^  as 
the  horse  is  not  in  a  suitable  mechanical  posture 
to  allow  of  its  being  done.  He  is  placed  in  a  sui- 
table position  for  raising  the  foot  by  leaning  one 
hand  against  the  shoulder  or  haunch.  Thus  the 
weight  of  the  horse's  body  is  directed  on  to  the 
other  side,  and  the  foot  that  it  is  desired  to  raise 
remains  uncharged,  and  can  be  raised  easily  with 
slight  exertion  of  strength.  It  is  generally  said  that 
the  horse  will  not  raise  his  foot,  and  it  is  not 
understood  that  he  has  not  been  placed  in  a  posi- 
tion suitable  for  doing  so,  and  this  is  not  the  fault 
of  the  horse  but  that  of  the  man  wha  has  not 
studied    hoAV   the   foot   should  be  raised. 

The  horse  who  does  not  know  how  to  traverse 
should  not  be  required  to  suddenly  traverse  by  dint 
of  punishments  with  hand,  spurs  or  whip.  He 
should  be  prepared  for  it  by  bending  him  gradu- 
ally, giving  him  time  to  grow  accustomed  to  this 
bent  posture  and  little  by  little  making  him  tra- 
verse for  a  few  steps  until  he  grows  accustomed  to 
it  and  it  no  longer  inconveniences  him. 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  123 

Resistance  and  revolt  shoiild  not  be  excited  by 
repeated  punishments,  and  if  we  perceive  that  the 
horse  has  conceived  the  idea  of  resisting  or  revol- 
ting, Ave  ninst  either  cease  at  once  to  require  the 
action  he  was  being  taught,  or  place  ourselves  in 
a  position  to  be  able  to  oppose  and  j)revent  the 
reaction  immediately  and  not  wait  until  he  has 
carried  it  out. 

When  we  do  not  succeed  in  obtaining  an  action 
we  may  be  sure  that  it  is  not  the  fault  of  the  horse 
but  our  own,  who  have  demanded  it  from  him 
without  having  prepared  him  beforehand  or  without 
the  gradation  which  is  required  by  his  nature,  or 
have  demanded  an  action  which  at  that  moment 
was  not  possible  for  him.  The  horse  should  not  be 
required  to  go  through  any  action  without  proper 
gradation  and  preparation,  much  less  sliould  we 
seek  to  force  him  to  such  action  by  means  of  pu- 
nishments. The  result  would  be  resistance  and  re- 
volt, and  the  horse  would  attain  the  knowledge 
that  he  is  superior  to  us,  that  he  can  refuse  to  do 
what  we  tell  him  to  do. 

We  likewise   should  not   insist  upon  the  horse 


124  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

going  through  an  action  if  we  are  not  in  a  posi- 
tion and  under  circumstances  allowing  us  to  compel 
him,  as  being  able  to  successfully  resist  us  he 
w^ould  become  aware  of  his  superiority  and  our 
inferiority. 

This  is  the  reason  w  hy  mastery  should  be  obtain- 
ed in  the  riding  school.  Here  we  can  compel  him, 
whilst  outside  the  horse  is  the  master.  Santapaulina 
says  that  the  edge  of  a  precipice  is  not  the  place 
to  combat  the  fear  of  a  horse.  It  is  better  to  get 
off  and  give  it  up. 

Actions,  aids,  j^^t^iisJitnents,  and  associations 

wliicli  the  liorse  understands  naturally, 

with  whicJi  may  he  associated  the  actions  it  is  desired 

to  teach  him  to  perform, 

and  by  ichich  these  may  he  taught  him. 

Just  as  with  deaf  mutes  it  is  requisite  to  make 
oneself  understood  by  signs,  so  it  is  with  the  horse. 
The  things  which  he  understands  naturally,  and 
which  he  can  understand  on  their  being  taught 
him,  are  various  signs,  and  such  signs  are  our  dif- 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  125 


ferent  aids  and  punishments  by  which  we  make 
him  understand  what  we  desire  him  to  do.  He 
does  not  understand  words,  but  the  sound  of  Avords, 
or  rather  the  various  intonations  of  the  voice,  when 
they  are  simple  and  distinct.  Eor  him  words  are 
sounds,  and  for  this  reason  all  languages  are  alike. 
Of  these  sounds,  whatever  be  the  word  used  in 
emitting  them,  he  naturally  understands :  —  the  so- 
norous conciliatory  sound  oh  !  which  has  the  effect 
of  soothing  him;  —  the  loud  short  angry  sound  eh! 
which  produces  the  impression  of  a  menace  and 
makes  him  afraid. 

The  other  sounds  adopted  for  directing  him  to 
advance,  to  stop,  or  make  any  other  given  move- 
ments, such  as  to  start  off  at  a  gallop,  and  others 
are  learnt  by  associating  them  frequently  with  these 
actions,  which  he  is  induced  to  perform  by  means 
of  other  aids. 

He  understands  naturally;  —  a  kind  look  and 
caresses,  whicli  have  the  effect  of  soothing  him ;  —  a 
threatening  look,  gesture,  or  movement  Avith  the 
whip,  or  being  struck  with  the  whip;  —  which  are 
things   producing  upon    him    usually  the  effect    of 


126-  HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS 

making  him  afraid,  of  making  him  flee  in  the  op- 
posite direction,  and  at  times,  react. 

He  understands  —  to  advance  if  he  is  threa- 
tened or  struck  behind  Avith  the  whip ;  —  to  recede 
if  treatened  in  front;  —  to  go  to  llie  left  if  threa- 
tened from  the  right;  —  to  go  to  the  right  if 
threatened  from  the  left;  —  the  cavesson  punish- 
ments; —  the  intermittent  puUings  of  the  lounge 
which  invite  him  to  advance,  to  follow  the  person 
who  pulls;  —  the  oppositions  made  with  the  lounge 
on  the  cavesson,  which  prevent  him  from  advancing 
when  he  would  wish  to  do  so,  and  keep  him  in 
one  spot  or  make  him  recede. 

Excited  by  punishment  with  the  whip  he  is 
afraid  and  runs,  but  when  this  punishment  ceases 
he  understands  that  it  is  better  to  go  slowly.  He 
understands  enough  to  avoid  objects  of  sufiicient 
size  to  give  liim  the  idea  that  he  might  be  hurt 
by  them.  This  is  not  contradicted  by  the  single 
instances  of  his  going  against  objects  when  over- 
come by  fear,  or  by  his  breaking  out  of  the  en- 
closure in  which  he  was  placed  if  the  sight  of 
other  horses  excites  him  to  go  away. 


HOW   THE    HORSE    LEARNS  127 


TUnfis  and  actions  wliich  the  horse  does  not 

nuder stand  naturaJIt/  hut  which  he  learns 

immediately  hy  means  of  association  with  the  things 

ivhich  he  understands,  and  which  it  is 

essential  to  teach  him,  ownuf  to  their  heiny  a  matter 

of  jtrime  necessity  with  a  view  to  his  instruction. 

His  coming  forward  on  being  pulled  fcn-wavd 
with  the  lounge  although  he  understands  it  because 
it  is  a  material  action,  may  in  the  beginning  give 
him  the  idea  of  being  subjected  to  violence,  and 
he  may  resist  by  receding.  He  is  taught  not  to 
resist  the  lounge  when  pulling  by  threatening  him 
or  striking  him  behind  with  the  whip,  whilst  being 
pulled  in  front  with  tlie  lounge  to  make  him  ad- 
vance. The  lounge  \vith  the  cavesson  and  the  v»hi]) 
are  comjdementary,  and  assist  each  other  in  teaching 
the  other  elementary  things  it  is  necessary  to  teach 
the  horse. 

His  advancing  towards  us,  his  coming  to  us 
whilst  he  is  going  in  a  circle  led  by  the  lounge 
at  some  distance  from  us,  is  explained  to  him  and 


128  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

he  learns  it,  from  our  pulling  him  with  the  lounge 
and  forcing  him  to  come  to  us  by  another  person 
threatening  him  from  behind  with  the  whip.  In 
order  that  he  should  come  forward  towards  the 
man  who  holds  the  lounge  and  pulls  him  forward, 
this  man  must  not  have  ill-treated  him.  If  the  man 
had  ill-treated  him  previously  he  would  have  given 
him  an  association  contrary  to  coming  towards  him, 
as  the  horse  would  be  afraid  of  him,  and  would 
be  right  in  not  wishing  to  come. 

He  does  not  understand  having  to  advance  at 
a  given  sound  of  the  voice  which  it  is  desired  to 
use  to  make  him  start,  when  it  is  employed  for 
the  first  time.  It  is  explained  and  taught  him  by 
pulling  him  forward  with  the  lounge  while  he  is 
simultaneously  urged  from  behind  with  the  whip, 
and  associating  with  these  aids  the  sound  of  the 
voice  which  it  is  desired  to  use  as  a  signal  to  start. 
He  learns  it  after  these  associations  have  been  re- 
peated a  certain  number  of  times  constantly  in  the 
same  way. 

He  does  not  understand  before  he  is  taught  the 
sound  of  voice  which  is  intended  to  make  him  stop. 


HOW   THE   HORSE    LEARNS  129 


It  is  taught  him  by  stopping  him,  while  he  is  led 
with  the  lounge,  and  preventing  him  from  going 
on  by  oppositions  with  the  lounge  on  the  cavesson 
at  the  same  time  associating  the  action  of  stopping 
with  the  voice  sound  meant  to  make  him  stop. 

Oppositions  made  in  front  with  the  lounge  on 
tlie  cavesson  or  on  the  bridle  or  on  the  halter  are 
appropriate  for  making  him  stop  but  he  may  not 
understand  them  or  may  not  be  willing  to  under- 
stand them.  They  are  explained  and  enforced  by  a 
threat  made  in  front.  He  learns  this  after  the  action 
of  stopping  him  in  this  way  with  this  sound  of  the 
voice  has  been  repeated  a  certain  number  of  times. 

Advancing  and  stopping  are  likewise  learnt 
somewhat  from  the  idea  of  imitation,  because  in 
pulling  him  forward  he  has  seen  the  man  advance, 
and  when  resisting  his  advance  and  stopping  him 
has  seen  the  man  likewise  stop.  When  these  sounds 
are  learnt  they  may  be  used  without  the  other 
aids  with  which  they  have  been  taught  him,  and 
mav  be  used  to  teach  him  other  movements  which 
he  does  not  know,  and  which  it  is  desired  to 
teach  him. 


9 


130  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 


The  aids  of  the  hand,  of  the  iveight  of  the  hody 
of  the  rider  and  other  aids  are  meclianical, 

and  after  tliey  have  been 
learnt  become  mental  or  conventional  aids. 

Except  the  associations  which  must  be  given  to 
the  horse  in  order  to  acquire  his  confidence ,  to 
teach  him  to  advance  at  a  given  sound  of  the 
voice,  to  stop  and  remain  still  at  certain  other 
sound  of  the  voice,  and  to  free  him  from  fear, 
the  other  actions  which  it  is  requisite  to  teach 
him  in  order  to  fit  him  for  being  ridden  depend 
on  and  are  taught  by  means  of  aids  or  indications 
with  the  lounge,  the  whip,  the  hand,  the  weight 
of  rider's  the  body,  the  riding  whip  and  the  legs, 
which  act  in  part  mechanically  and  explain  them- 
selves owing  to  the  mechanical  eifect  they  produce 
upon  him,  and  in  part  mentally  but  clearly. 

By  means  of  these  aids,  the  horse  comes  to 
one  side  because  he  is  actually  drawn  that  way, 
and  goes  to  the  other  because  he  is  materially 
driven  there.    This    is    a   great   advantage,    and    if 


HOW   THE   HORSE    LEARNS  131 


these  aids  did  not  act  thus  mechanically^  I  do. 
not  know  how  the  evolutions  could  be  taught 
him.  In  proportion  as  his  body,  with  increased 
instruction,  becomes  freer  and  more  pliant,  and 
his  motion  improves,  these  aids  produce  greater 
and  more  prompt  eifect. 

After  a  certain  amount  of  repetition  these  aids, 
in  addition  to  acting  mechanically y  act  likewise  as 
mental,  conventional  or  memorised  aids,  because  he 
remembers  their  effect.  The  horse  who  has  seen 
himself  compelled  several  times  by  these  aids  to 
assume  given  positions,  and  to  make  given  move- 
ments, on  the  same  aids  being  repeated  remem- 
bers them,  and  prepares  himself,  assumes  those 
positions  himself,  and  does  of  his  own  accord  what 
he  has  already  understood  he  is  required  to  do  on 
the  first  indication  of  these  aids,  not  waiting  for 
their  mechanical  action.  Owing  to  his  memory, 
the  horse  retains  the  effect  produced  on  his  body 
by  mechanical  aids. 

Opposed  by  one  rein,  he  is  sent  to  the  other 
side,  and  this  is  a  mechanical  aid,  but  the  horse 
associates    the    idea   of  having   been   sent    to    the 


]32  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 


other  side,  aud  oi  iiaviug  been  rcL^uirecl  to  go  to 
the  other  side  with  the  opposition  of  that  reiu. 
He  remembers  having  gone  to  the  other  side  on 
the  aid  applied  by  the  rein,  and  makes  ready  and 
lends  himself  to  go  to  the  other  side  at  the  slightest 
indication  of  action  bv  the  rein  uiven  in  this  Tvav 
for  this  purpose.  Thus  if  in  teaching  him  this  action, 
a  force  which  we  will  call  ten  was  employed  to 
induce  him  to  do  it  the  first  few  times,  when  he 
has  learnt  it,  a  force  of  one  is  sufficient,  i.  e.  a 
mere  indication. 

When  these  aids  become  rtmntaJ  aids  their  ac- 
tion is  more  rapid,  they  are  quicker  in  transmit- 
ting the  orders  of  the  rider  to  the  horse,  and  the 
horse  is  quicker  to  execute  them  because  he  comes 
to  understand  them  more  quickly.  Thus  he  stops 
more  quickly  on  the  voice  signal  to  stop  than  on 
the  signal  to  stop  given  by  the  reins.  This  is  the 
reason  why  in  order  to  make  the  horse  perform 
an  action  which  he  lias  never  performed,  more  capa- 
city, more  precision  of  aids  and  more  strength  is 
required  in  the  person  teaching  than  after  he  has 
learnt  it.  After  learning  it,  even  if  the  aids  are  badly 


HOW   THE   HORSE    LEARNS  13^ 


given,  the  horse  does  it  just  the  same  because  on 
the  first  sign  of  the  aid  being  given,  although  it 
may  be  badly  given,  he  understands  immediately 
or  guesses  immediately  what  he  is  to  do.  This  shows 
tlie  diiference  between  riding  a  trained  horse  and 
instructing  a  horse  the  first  time. 

Tlie  aids  and  punishments  of  the  whip  are 
understood  by  him  naturaJJt/,  he  knows  their  mean- 
ing, Avhich  is  to  go  away  from  them,  to  flee  them, 
i.  e.  the  action  of  going  and  of  going  in  the  direc- 
tion opposite  to  that  in  which  they  are  given. 
They  are  also  mental  aids  because  they  act  upon 
liis  mind  by  giving  sensations  of  pain. 

The  aids  and  punishments  with  the  spurs  are 
not  so  clear.  In  many  horses  they  excite  reactions, 
and  to  explain  them  it  is  necessary  to  associate 
them  with  the  whip  aids,  applying  them  together 
in  order  to  show  that  they  are  signals  to  advance, 
that  on  giving  them  the  spurs  it  is  desired  they 
should  go  forward. 

The  cavesson  aids  act  mechanicaUy  and  mentally 
and  explain  themselves.  Tbeir  action  is  powerful 
because  it  is  exercised  on  the  hrain,  the  seat  of 
intelligence  and  will. 


134  HOW   THE    HORSE   LEARNS 


Associations  of  place 
and  associations  of  time  or  succession. 

The  learning'  of  the  various  evoliitions  is  faci- 
litated for  the  horse  by  associating  them  A\ith 
certain  given  tpoints  in  the  riding  school,  i.  e,  l>y 
giving  him  associations  ai  2)lace,  h\  repeatedly  cau- 
sing him  to  perform  a  given  action  at  a  given  point, 
and  by  making  him  perform  an  action  immedia- 
tely after  another  given  action,  i,  e.  by  giving  liim 
associations  of  time  or  succession.  The  meinorv  of 
the  place  recalls  the  memory  of  the  evolution 
executed  at  that  2)lace  and  the  memory  of  the 
action  first  performed  recalls  that  which  was  con- 
stantly performed  immediately  afterwards ,  and 
which  he  must  j)erform  after  the  first. 

Teaching  the  various  evolutions  by  the  aids  of 
the  hand  and  of  the  weight  of  the  rider's  body 
etc.,  at  given  points  in  the  riding  school  causes 
him  to  associate  such  evolutions  Avith  those  points 
and  on  the  same  aids  being  applied  at  those  given 
points  he  better  remembers  the  evolutions  he  has 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  135 

been  caused  to  make  at  those  given  points  and 
when  lie  is  required  to  make  them  again  by  the 
same  aids  at  those  points  lie  prepares  for  them 
himself  Avith  his  body  and   performs   them    better. 

This  association  of  the  evolutions  with  given 
points  of  the  riding  school  has  the  advantage  that 
the  h(n*se  knows  where  he  is  to  go  to  and  goes 
there,  and  whilst  he  is  going  there,  aids  may  be 
applied  to  improve  his  position  and  the  execution 
of  the  evolution  without  their  confusing  him. 

Thus  in  making  him  traverse  by  a  half  turn 
the  horse  knows  that  he  goes  from  the  middle  of 
the  short  wall  of  the  riding  school  to  the  middle 
of  the  long  wall.  Whilst  he  is  making  this  passage 
hand  aids  may  be  given  him  to  hold  him  in  and 
make  him  traverse  without  his  growing  confused 
and  without  their  causing  him  to  swerve  from  his 
path. 

If  he  is  taught  to  perform  the  pirouette  (turn 
on  himself  on  the  croup)  by  passing  lengthwise 
down  the  middle  of  the  riding  school  and  stopping 
in  the  centre  (where  the  pirouette  is  always  per- 
formed) and   then    continuing   to    advance   in   the 


136  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

same  direction  he  acquires  an  association  which 
after  some  repetitions  causes  him  to  remember  that 
when  he  reaches  the  centre  of  the  riding  school  he 
ought  to  make  the  pirouette,  and  he  prepares  for 
it  himself  and  does  it  better. 

Foreseeing  that  he  must  make  a  pirouette  he 
prepares  his  body  himself  and  does  it  better,  aiul 
he  is  not  confused  by  the  various  aids  which  are 
given  him  for  the  purpose  of  securing  his  executing 
it  in  a  good  position. 

Promptness  in  executing  evolutions  is  learnt  by 
teaching  him  in  this  way  and  therefore  by  the 
horse  understanding  beforehand  what  he  is  requi- 
red to  do  from  the  aids  which  are  given  him  in 
order  to  make  him  prepare  his  body  for  the  various 
evolutions,  which  he  already  knows,  owing  to  ha- 
ving made  them  many  times. 

When  he  has  learnt  them  he  makes  anv  evo- 
lution  in  any  desired  place,  because  with  the  exe- 
cution of  each  evolution  he  has  associated  the 
various  special  aids  which  preceded  his  being  put 
through  it,  and  the  aids  by  which  he  was  made 
to  execute  it. 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  137 

From  making  him^  go  rej)eatedly  througli  a  gi- 
ven evolution  at  a  given  point  in  the  riding  school 
the  horse  easily  comes  to  believe  that  he  is  desi- 
red to  make  it  whenever  he  is  made  to  pass  along 
that  point,  and  when  passing  along  that  point  he 
prepares  for  it  and  wishes  to  make  it.  This  may 
be  soon  remedied  by  being  intent  on  forestalling 
him  and  preventing  him  from  going  throngli  the 
evolution,  making  him  continue  straight  on.  Thus 
he  learns  that  in  order  to  go  through  that  evo- 
lution in  that  place,  he  must  wait  until  told  to 
do  so  by  having  tlie  proper  aids  applied. 

These  associations  of  place  have  the  same 
advantage  when  giving  him  instruction  with  the 
lounge  because  the  horse,  from  \\\q  place  v\iiere  he 
has  been  made  to  go  through  a  given  evolution 
has  learnt  his  way  and  is  not  confused  by  the 
various  aids  given  him  with  the  lounge  for  the 
purpose  of  improving  the  position  of  his  body  or 
maintaining  it  in  a  good  position.  With  the  lounge 
and  with  the  whip  he  soon  learns  the  evolutions 
which  he  is  made  to  go  through  in  the  riding 
school,  because  they  are  constantly  carried  out  at 


138  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

certain  points  in  the  riding  school  and  he  asso- 
ciates them  with  these  points.  Thus  at  every  indi- 
cation of  an  aid  given  at  such  a  point  he  knows 
where  to  go,  what  he  is  to  do  and  liow  he  is  to 
do  it.  This  holds  good  for  every  other  evolution. 

As  the  bugle  signal  makes  him  expect  that 
after  it  he  will  be  given  oats  because  this  was 
done  many  times,  thus  the  fact  of  repeatedly  ma- 
king him  go  through  an  action  immediately  after 
another,  forms  an  association  which  makes  him 
remember  and  expect  that  after  he  has  been  put 
through  a  certain  given  action  he  will  be  put 
through  another  given  action.  This  gives  him  the 
idea  of  succession  in  going  through  various  move- 
ments, and,  foreseeing  the  second  action  before  he 
is  required  to  go  through  it,  he  prepares  himself 
for  it,  and  performs  it  better. 

Por  the  actions  which  are  prepared  and  gover- 
ned by  various  aids  applied  one  after  the  other, 
he  retains  their  succession  and  after  the  first  or 
second  aid,  he  understands  what  is  desired  and 
executes  it  without  waiting  to  be  given  the  other 
aids  which  would  follow. 


~yr 


HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS  139 


In  order  to  make  him  start  off  at  the  gallop 
the  horse  has  observed  that  the  following  move- 
ments were  always  made  in  succession  ;  —  he  has 
been  collected  with  the  reins ;  —  he  has  been 
slightly  bent  inAvards  with  the  head  and  croup ;  — 
the  weight  of  the  rider' s  body  has  been  placed  on 
the  inside  stirrup  ;  —  the  hand  has  been  raised ;  — 
and  an  outside  leg  or  whip  aid  has  been  given.  — 
After  this  has  been  done  several  times,  on  the  tirst 
aids  he  sets  off  at  a  gallop  and  does  not  wait  fnr 
the  raising  of  the  hand  <m-  the  starting  signal 
given  from  outside.  This  ha])pens  witli  ligbt  horses 
Avhich  are  naturally  united  and  spirited,  and  not 
with  the  disunited  and  lazy  horse. 

The  horse  who  was  always  made  to  gallop 
slightly  bent  towards  the  centre  of  tlie  riding 
school,  understands  that  it  is  desired  to  change, 
and  changes  the  gallop,  if  he  is  agile,  on  the  mere 
change  of  the  bend  of  neck  and  raising  of  the 
hand  accompanied  by  a  transfer  of  the  weight  of 
the  body  of  the  rider  to  the  other  stirrup,  and 
does  not  wait  for  the  offside  leg  or  Avhip  aid  or 
punishment. 


140  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEAENS 


Way  of  teaching. 

The  lounge  is  the  best  material  way  of  instruc- 
ting the  horse  for  the  purpose  of  rendering  him 
supple  and  preparing  him  (as  far  as  his  conforma- 
tion allows  it)  to  keep  collected  in  the  hand  when 
the  time  will  come  to  ride  him.  It  is  explained  in 
the  Arte  di  Oayalcare  (Devoti  -  /Said,  Lago  di 
Garcia  -  1894). 

In  the  eighteenth  century  tlie  Earl  of  Pem- 
broke recognized  the  advantage  of  instructing  hor- 
ses with  the  lounge  which  was  invented  at  ISTaples 
by  a  Prinqe  Pignatelli  in  the  sixteenth  century 
when  many  ISI^eapolitan  noblemen  taught  riding. 
Monsieur  De  la  Broue  et  Monsieur  de  Pluvinel 
were  among  Prince  Pignatelli' s  pupils. 

To  teach  him  to  do  particular  actions  and  to 
accustom  him  to  be  touched,  to  be  caressed,  to  be 
gi'oomed,  to  give  up  his  feet,  not  to  be  afraid  of 
Yt  earing  harness  and  not  to  fear  many  objects,  the 
horse  must  be  made  to  stand  still,  isolated,  held 
by  two  men  with  two  lounges  attached  to  the  two 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  141 

side-rings  of  the  cavesson  or  led  by  them  at  a 
short  walk,  according  to  what  is  most  suited  to 
teach  the  special  action  wanted.  The  two  men  hold 
the  horse  with  the  lounges  at  one  or  two  yards 
distance    or   more  avS  it  seems  best  to  the  teacher. 

Held  in  this  way  the  horse  is  held  and  has 
the  appearance  of  being  free.  It  helps  a  great  deal 
to  keep  him  in  submission  and  make  him  learn 
more  quickly  and  thus  the  teacher  is  not  trou- 
bled with  holding  the  horse  himself  and  is  free  to 
do  all  that  is  necessary  for  teaching  him.  The 
teacher  may  hold  a  third  lounge  if  he  finds  it  of 
assistance  to  teach  a  special  action. 

While  the  horse  is  held  standing  still  isolated 
or  led  at  a  short  walk  the  two  men  must  leave 
the  horse  in  a  natural  position  of  head  and  neck, 
not  high  and  not  low.  The  two  men  ought  never 
to  allow  the  horse  to  press,  to  draw  against  them 
or  to  lean  on  their  lounges  but  should  resist  by 
opposing  intermittent!}'  the  weight  of  their  body 
put  on  the  lounges. 

The  two  men  must  liold  the  horse  standing 
still  or  draw  him  forward  at   a   short   walk,    stop 


142  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

liim,  or  pull  him  forward  intermittently  with  gra- 
dual action  and  not  by  jerks,  as  required  by  the 
teacher  according  as  it  is  suited  to  teach  that  spe- 
cial action.  The  two  men  must  know  of  themselves 
how  and  when  the  aids  and  punishments  of  the 
lounge  on  the  cavesson  are  to  be  applied. 

To  teach  a  restless  horse  to  allow  himself  to  be 
caressed,  groomed  and  to  give  up  his  feet  it  would 
be  better  to  put  him  between  two  wooden  pillars 
or  four.  Putting  the  horse  between  four  pillars 
might  also  he  useful  in  trying  to  show  a  horse 
which  was  illtreated  previously,  that  you  do  not 
want  to  illtreat  him.  Between  four  pillars  you  can 
caress  him  without  being  in  danger  of  being  hurt. 
The  two  front  pillars  have  a  ring  on  the  front 
side  for  attaching  the  head  through  two  lounges 
at  the  two  side-rings  of  the  cavesson  and  the  other 
two  pillars  must  be  situated  at  the  two  sides  of 
the  horse  in  front  of  the  middle  of  his  body  so 
that  he  cannot  go  across. 

Eor  the  teacher  to  be  more  sheltered  six  pil- 
lars would  be  still  better,  the  last  two  being  in 
front  of  the  croup. 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  143 

The  ideas  which  are  afterwards  translated  into 
actions  by  the  horse  originate  in  objects,  or  events, 
or  aids  which  have  made  an  impression  upon  his 
senses  of  sight,  hearing  or  touch  and  on  his  ins- 
tincts. Acting  upon  his  senses  by  objects,  impres- 
sions and  aids,  we  may  produce  in  him  associations 
calculated  to  give  rise  to  the  ideas  of  the  actions 
we  wish  him  to  perform  or  which  we  desire  to 
teach  him.  We  give  him  the  idea  of  coming  to- 
wards us  by  showing  him  the  sieve  in  which  he  is 
given  oats.  The  horse  does  not  come  to  us  for  our 
sake  but  for  the  sake  of  the  oats  which  are  in  the 
sieve,  which  he  knows  to  be  in  the  sieve,  but  the 
oats  call  forth  in  him  also  the  idea  of  coming 
to  us. 

To  teach  the  horse  a  movement  or  cause  him 
to  perform  a  movement  we  must  first  of  all: 

1.  Inspire  him  with  the  idea  of  it  by  showing 
him  some  object  connected  with  it,  by  giving  him 
a  suitable  aid,  and  then  by  whatever  means,  find 
the  way  to  constrain  him  to  put  the  idea  in  practice. 

2.  As  soon  as  he  makes  the  movement  (whe- 
ther well  or  badly  does  not  matter)  signs  of  appro- 


144  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

val  must  be  shown  by  the  conciliatoiy  voice  sound 
and  by  caresses,  in  order  that  he  may  understand 
that  he  has  done  what  was  required  of  him. 

3.  A  sign,  sound,  gesture,  is  associated  with 
the  movement  which  he  performs  and  so  he  learns 
to  perform  it  at  that  sound  or  gesture.  This  asso- 
ciation can  be  given  simultaneously  with  teaching 
the  movement  which  must  be  repeated  at  intervals 
(so  as  not  to  annoy  the  horse)  in  order  that  he  may 
learn  it  thoroughly  and,  if  he  refuses  to  repeat  it, 
threats  or  even  punishments  may  be  used  to  give 
him  the  idea  that  by  repeating  it  he  avoids  punish- 
ment. In  many  cases  the  sign,  the  sound  of  the 
voice  by  which  it  is  intended  to  teach  him  to  do 
the  desired  action,  are  used  also  when  giving  rise 
in  him  to  the  idea  of  it,  and  when  first  compel- 
ling him  to  execute  it. 

These  three  things  should  be  done  in  their  or- 
der as  above.  He  cannot  be  taught  to  make  the 
movement  before  he  has  conceived  the  idea  of  it. 
It  cannot  be  required  that  he  should  perform  the 
movement  at  a  given  sigyi  before  he  has  learnt  how 
to  perform  it. 


HOW   THE    HORSE   LEARNS  145 


He  must  first  be  given  the  idea  of  trarersing 
by  compelling  him  with  the  reins  to  place  himself 
in  traverse,  must  afterwards  be  taught  the  material 
action  of  traversing  by  compelling  him  to  traverse, 
and  then  we  must  teach  him  to  carrv  out  the 
action  of  traversing  to  the  aids  of  the  reins  and 
pressure  of  the  leg. 

If  it  is  attempted  to  teach  him  to  traverse  by 
dint  of  punishments  whilst  his  body  is  not  prepa- 
red and  he  does  not  know  hoAv,  he  is  surprised 
and  disturbed  by  it,  and  feels  pain  in  the  legs,  and 
if  he  is  of  a  timid  nature  he  experiences  fear  and 
dislike,  or  if  he  is  of  a  spirited  nature  he  is  irri- 
tated by  it  and  makes  oppositions  and  reactions. 

Teaching  the  horse  to  (tdvance  at  a  giv&n  sound 

of  the  voice. 

The  first  things  to  be  taught  the  horse  are: 
to  move  forward   quietly    at    a  walk    on    being 
drawn  forward  by  the  lounges  and  at  a  given  sound 
of  the  voice  which  it  is  desired  to  use  as  a  signal 
to  make  him  advance; 


10 


146  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 


to  stop  and  stand  still  on  being  opposed  by  the 
lounges,  which  prevent  him  from  advancing,  at 
another  given  sound  of  the  voice  which  it  is  desired 
to  use  to  make  him  stop  and  stand  still. 

The  act  of  advancing  on  being  drawn  forward 
and  at  a  given  sound  of  the  voice  is  taught  in  this 
way.  By  gentle  intermittent  pulls  of  the  lounges  he 
is  invited  to  advance,  being  in  the  meantime  threa- 
tened behind  with  the  whip,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  voice  signal,  at  which  it  is  desired  to  accustom 
him  to  start,  is  repeatedly  given.  He  may  under- 
stand his  being  pulled  forward  to  mean  that  he  is 
desired  to  go  forward,  but  he  may  object  to  it. 
The  threat  with  the  whip  behind  gives  him  the 
idea  of  going  forward  and  induces  him  to  advance 
because  by  advancing  he  flees  a  fain  with  which 
he  is  threatened  or  which  is  inflicted  behind  and 
which  is  represented  by  the  whip. 

When  he  comes  forward,  the  fact  of  ceasing  to 
urge  him  to  do  so  by  pulling  him,  and  of  ceasing 
the  threat  with  the  whip,  while  we  caress  him, 
and  give  the  conciliatory  voice  sound,  shows  uj)- 
proval  of  his  coming  forward,  of  his  coming  to  us. 


HOW   THE   HOBSE   LEARNS  147 

This  being  repeated  a  few  times  he  learns  to  ad- 
vance or  come  to  us  on  being  indled  forward  at  a 
given  voice  Hgnal  and  afterwards  at  this  voice  signal 
alone  without  being  pulled. 

If  whilst  inviting  him  to  advance  by  intermit- 
tent pulls  at  the  lounges  we  turn  towards  him  and 
we  go  backwards  receding  from  him,  his  seeing 
us  recede  from  him  by  walking  backward,  invites 
him  still  more  to  come  forward.  He  will  not  be 
thus  incited  to  advance  if  the  person  he  sees  in 
front  has  previously  ill-treated  him  while  turned 
towards  him,  because  the  position  of  thus  facing 
him  is  associated  with  the  infliction  of  punishment. 

It  is  understood  that  the  same  sound  of  the 
voice  must  always  be  employed  for  the  «ame  action 
of  advancing.  After  a  few  repetitions  he  advances 
at  the  voice  signal  alone  without  being  puU^id  ^nd 
without  threat  of  the  whip  behind  because  he  re- 
members these  aids,  and  if  bv  chance  he  does  not 
remember  them,  he  is  again  pulled  forward  and 
menaced  anew  with  the  whip  behind. 

The  succession  of  these  proceedings  is  in  accor- 
dance with  the  rules  stated.  Drawing  him  forward 


148  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

has  given  liim  the  idea  of  advancing,  but  perhaps 
gave  him  also  the  idea  of  violence,  of  his  being 
compelled,  and  the  idea  of  resistance.  The  whip 
behind  has  contributed  to  persuading  him  to  exe- 
cute the  action  of  forward  motion  by  giving  him 
the  idea  that  it  is  good  for  him  to  go  forward  in 
order  to  avoid  being  struck  behind  with  the  whip 
(which  is  for  him  an  evil)  and  has  induced  him 
to  perform  the  action  of  going  forward. 

The  association  of  the  sound  of  the  voice  which 
has  several  times  accompanied  the  forward  motion, 
has  taught  him  that  this  sound  signifies  that  he 
is  to  advance.  The  association  of  the  whip  shown 
him  from  behind,  which  is  a  thing  he  understands 
naturally,  has  served  to  induce  him  to  go  forward 
at  the  voice  signal  which  alone  he  could  not 
understand. 

As  in  drawing  him  forward  we  also  advance 
and  present  ourselves  to  him  sideways,  he  thus 
learns  that  our  standing  sideways  to  him  and  ad- 
vancing are  signals  to  advance. 

As  in  making  him  change  hands,  whilst  he  is 
moving  in  a  circle  led  by  the  lounge,  he  Avas  made 


HOW  THE  HOESE  LEARNS  149 

to  slacken  his  pace,  and  the  lounge  was  drawn 
and  folded  up  and  then  he  also  was  drawn  inwards 
and  we,  in  doing  this,  made  some  steps  backwards, 
he  learns  that  pulling  him  inwards,  folding  the 
lounge  and  our  going  back,  mean  a  change  of  the 
hand  and  that  our  receding  means  that  he  is  to 
advance. 

Advancing  at  a  given  sound  of  the  voice  is  the 
first  thing  to  be  taught  the  horse  because  it  is  a 
great  advantage  on  man}'  occasions  to  be  able  to 
make  use  of  this  voice  signal  to  cause  him  to 
advance  either  alone  or  as  a  preliminary  to  other 
riding  aids.  It  serves  to  keep  the  horse  intent  on 
advancing  without  giving  other  aids  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  voice  aids  to  advance  and  the  whip  aids 
associated  Avith  the  leg  and  spur  aids  teach  those 
horses  to  advance  who,  owing  to  their  nature  would 
be  excited  to  react  at  giving  them  the  spurs  alone. 

Teachincf  the  horse  to  stop  and  remain  still  at 
another  given  sound  of  the  voice,  and  to  go  backwards. 

Whilst  the  horse  is  walking  led  by  two  or 
three  lounges,  or  even  by  one,  and  we  advance  in 


150  HOW  THE  nOKSE  LEARNS 


fi'mit  of  liiiu,  slightly  to  one  side  or  on  his  tiank, 
he  is  taught  to  stop  at  a  given  sound  of  the  voice 
(at  which  it  is  intended  to  habituate  him  to  stop 
and  to  remain  still)  by  uttering  this  sound  and 
forthwith  associating  with  it  our  going  in  front 
of  him  and  preventing  him  from  advancing  by 
oppositions  with  the  lounges  on  the  cavesson 
(which  is  a  physical  action  and  which  he  unders- 
tands by  himself,)  and  immediately  on  his  having 
stopped,  by  caressing  him  and  giving  the  conci- 
liatory voice  sound.  After  some  repetitions  the  hor- 
se associates  the  voice  aids  for  stopping  with  being 
stopped  and  caressed  and  with  the  conciliating 
voice,  and  stops  at  the  sound  of  the  voice  alone 
without  needing  the  material  action  of  being  stop- 
ped by  oppositions  on  the  lounges. 

As  in  going  to  stop  him  we  walked  Avith  our 
face  turned  towards  him,  he  has  likewise  learnt 
that  our  going  up  to  him  turned  towards  him 
means  that  he  is  to  stop. 

He  is  sent  a  step  back  by  pressing  the  caves- 
soii  with  the  lounge  against  his  head,  keeping  it 
straight  and  low,    and    with    this    is    associated    a 


HOW   THE   HOESE   LEARNS  151 

certain  other  sound  of  the  voice  which  it  is  desi- 
red to  use  in  order  to  make  him  recede,  and  as 
soon  as  he  puts  a  leg  back  he  is  caressed  and  gi- 
ven the  conciliatory  voice  sound.  He  associates 
that  sound  with  the  backward  pressure  of  the  lounge 
and  with  going  backwards,  and  after  those  repe- 
titions which  are  necessary  to  make  him  remem- 
ber,  he  goes  backwards  on  the  mere  sound  of  the 
voice,  only  however  if  lie  is  very  obedient,  because 
going  backwards  is  inconvenient  to  him  and  he 
does  not  do  so  willingly.  Going  backwards  can 
also  be  associated  with  the  backward  pressure  of 
the  hand  against  the  muzzle,  against  the  neck  or 
against  the  chest. 

Stopping  at  a  given  sound  of  the  voice  and  re- 
maining still,  and  quieting  down  at  the  signal  of 
a  conciliating  voice  sound  are  the  most  necessary 
and  useful  things  under  very  many  circumstances. 
The  first  time  the  foal  is  ridden  he  does  not  know 
how  to  stop  on  being  pulled  in  by  the  hand,  but 
if  he  has  been  taught  to  stop  at  a  given  sound  of 
the  voice  he  may  be  stopped  by  this  aid  accompa- 
nied by  pulling  the  reins,  and   learns    to    stop    on 


152  now   THE    HORSE    LEARNS 

])eing  held  back  by  the  reins,  even  if  the  action 
of  the  reins  excites  him  to  run  on,  as  is  the  case 
Avith  some  horses.  In  like  manner  if  he  has  been 
taui>iit  the  conciliatinii,'  voice  sound  used  to  quiet 
him  in  case  of  fear  he  may  be  tranquillised  on 
hearing  it  when  afraid. 

Wat/  of  teachinxf  him  to  stand  still  alone. 

The  horse  can  be  taught  to  stand  still  alone, 
but  we  must  not  relv  on  his  standing'  still  alone 
if  we  stand  far  from  him.  The  overworked  horse 
and  the  ill-fed  horse  can  stand  still  if  left  standing. 
The  well-fed  and  rested  horse  cannot  stand  still 
because  it  is  contrary  to  the  excitability  inherent 
in  his  nature,  which  is  only  overcome  by  exces- 
sive  fatigue.  Even  the  much  fatigued  horse  very 
often  does  not  stand  still  when  he  is  of  an  exci- 
table nature.  If  there  comes  to  him  the  idea  of 
going  to  the  stable  or  if  he  is  seized  with  fear, 
and  is  left  alone,  he  escapes. 

It  is  said  that  the  Arab  horse  waits  for  his 
master.  This  may   be    because    he    has    grown    up 


HOW    THE    HORSE    LEARNS  153 

toi^etlier  witli  man  and  because,  not  havini''  pastu- 
res, he  must  expect  his  food  from  man.  Even  the 
Arabs  however  tie  their  horses,  and  tie  them  to  a 
picket  embedded  in  the  ground,  passing  tlie  tetlier 
round  the  pastern  of  a  fore-leg.  (This  method  of 
tethering  is  perhaps  better,  or  perhaps  is  a  neces- 
sity in  places  without  trees,  and  seems  to  have  less 
objections  than  otlier  methods  of  tying  the  horse). 
It  is  true  that  there  are  many  other  reasons  for 
keeping  him  tethered,  but  if  they  keep  liini  tethe- 
red it  must  be  presumed  that  even  the  Arabs  do 
not  believe  that  the  liorse  waits   for  liis  master. 

It  is  possible  to  teach,  or  rather  to  endeavour 
to  teacli  tlie  horse  to  stand  still  alone,  in  tlie  fol- 
lowing Avay.  He  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  an  iso- 
lated spot  (preferably  in  the  riding  school)  where 
there  are  no  distracting  causes,  and  is  held  (he 
may  be  held  first  by  two  men  with  two  lounges) 
by  a  black  thin  cord  so  that  it  should  not  be  very 
visible,  attached  in  front  to  the  cavesson  or  to  the 
back  of  tlie  head  strap  just  as  when  he  is  taught 
to  walk  with  a  cord.  You  walk  around  him  on 
one  side  and  on  the  other,  caress  him,  giving  often 


164  HOW    THE   HORSE    LEARNS 

the  conciliatory  voice  sound  and  then  move  away 
little  by  little,  so  that  he  does  not  notice  it,  conti- 
nuing intermittently  to  give  him  the  conciliatory 
voice  sound. 

As  soon  as  it  is  seen  that  he  is  about  to  move, 
it  is  necessary  to  go  up  to  him,  ^and  if  he  has  mo- 
ved to  put  him  quietly  back  into  his  place  giving 
him  the  conciliatory  voice.  Oare  must  be  taken 
however  to  prevent  this  and  go  up  to  him  before 
he  moves.  After  he  has  been  put  back  in  his  place 
several  times  it  may  also  be  useful  to  make  use 
somewhat  of  a  threatening  tone  and  slight  puni- 
shment if  he  moves,  if  his  nature  allows  it.  Tliis 
punishment  should  only  be  given  after  we  have 
tried  to  keep  him  still  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
every  day  for  many  days.  The  end  of  his  lesson 
is  the  best  time  to  teach  this  because  he  is  then 
in  a  more  obedient  mood  and  is  more  disposed  to 
remain  still  as  he  has  been  in  motion  until  that 
moment. 

The  conclusion  of  this  instruction  will  however 
be  that  after  having  done  much,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  end  is  not  attained,  because  it  is  contrary 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  155 


to  the  natural  excitability  of  the  horse,  which 
incites  him  to  run  from  no  greater  cause  than  the 
stir  of  a  leaf. 

Suhsiifuiion  of  other  aids 

or  other  sif/naJs  for  those  bi/  which  the  horse  has 

learnt  to  2)erform  the  actions  taught. 

Having  tirst  learnt  to  perform  an  action,  and 
afterwards  to  perform  it  at  a  given  sound,  gesture, 
or  signal  by  hand  or  on  a  given  aid,  if  it  is  desi- 
red, another  signal  may  be  substituted  by  associa- 
ting it  with  the  tirst  signal  whilst  the  horse  is 
performing  such  movement  on  the  tirst  signal,  the 
movement  being  repeated  until  he  has  learnt  to 
do  it  at  the  new  signal.  This  new  signal  should 
be  used  in  a  clear  and  marked  wav  so  as  to  make 
an  impression  on  him,  and  he  must  at  the  same 
time  be  compelled  to  perform  the  action.  Thus 
when  the  horse  is  isolated  and  standing  still,  being- 
held  by  two  men  at  one,  two  or  three  or  more 
yards  from  him  with  two  lounges  attached  to  the 
two  side-rings  of  the  cavesson,  if  whilst  the  voice 


156  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEAENS 

aid  for  movino-  is  given  a  forward  gesture  is  made 
with  an  arm  and  hand  as  though  to  show  the  way, 
and  these  two  signs  are  accompanied  by  a  threat 
with  .the  whip  behind,  which  compels  him  to  ad- 
vance, he  soon  learns  that  at  such  a  gesture  he 
must  advance  without  its  being  accompanied  by 
the  advancing  voice  signal. 

Thus  whilst  the  horse  advances  at  a  walk, 
conducted  by  the  two  lounges,  if  we  associate  the 
voice  stopping  signal  with  a  thoroughly  visible  and 
conspicuous  signal,  such  as  would  be  that  of  rai- 
sing the  hand,  and  having  him  stopped  directly  by 
the  two  men  holding  him  with  the  two  lounges, 
this  makes  him  understand  that  this  signal  is  for 
him  to  stop. 

Touching  or  striking  one  of  his  forelegs  with 
the  tip  of  the  whip  behind  the  knee  is  an  aid 
which  means  he  is  to  lift  that  fore-leg  and  throw 
out  his  foot.  Tor  the  touching  and  striking  with 
the  whip  behind  the  knee  may  be  substituted  the 
signal  of  pointing  the  tip  of  the  whip  to  the  leg 
without  touching  it  managing  as  follows. 

The    whip  is   pointed  conspicuously  in  the    di- 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  157 

rection  of  the  knee,  and  a  moment  later  lie  is 
struck  rather  heavily  behind  the  knee  and  also  is 
given  the  voice  sound  used  for  making  him  go. 
This  voice  sound  for  exciting  motion  aids  in  exci- 
ting him  to  move  his  leg,  because  it  is  an  order 
to  advance,  i.  e.  to  move  his  leg  which  he  already 
knows,  and  as  the  left  leg  is  touched  he  raises  it 
and  moves  it.  After  some  repetitions  he  under- 
stands and  remembers  that  pointing  the  tip  of  the 
whip  in  the  direction  of  his  leg  means  that  he  is 
to  raise  the  leg  and  paw  with  it,  and  he  does  so 
without  waiting  to  be  given  the  whip  punishment 
at  the  back  of  the  knee,  which  was  given  at  other 
times  after  the  whip  had  been  pointed  to  the  knee. 
For  the  signal  of  pointing  the  whip  to  the 
knee  may  easily  be  substituted  a  gesture  towards 
the  knee  with  the  extended  arm  and  hand.  Stan- 
ding to  the  left  of  him  facing  the  left  shoulder,  a 
very  conspicuous  gesture  is  made  with  the  exten- 
ded left  arm  towards  the  left  foreleg  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  knee  and  the  whip  is  kept  stret- 
ched out  along  our  right  leg  pointed  downwards 
so  that  he  should  not  see  it.  The  left  arm  is  with- 


1&8  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

drawn  and  again  a  signal  is  made  in  the  direction 
of  the  left  leg  and  the  back  of  the  knee  is  sharp- 
ly struck  with  the  whip  held  in  the  right  hand 
while  the  voice  sonnd  for  going  is  given  siniulta- 
neously.  The  whip  is  then  Immediately  liidden 
along  onr  right  leg. 

After  he  has  been  made  to  repeat  the  raising 
of  the  fore-leg  in  this  way  several  times  the  horse 
learns  to  raise  it  at  the  signal  with  the  left  arm 
and  hand  stretched  out  towards  the  leg,  without 
waiting  until  the  leg  is  struck  with  the  whip.  Im- 
mediately after  he  has  raised  his  leg  he  must  each 
time  be  caressed  on  the  neck  and  eyes  and  given 
the  conciliatory  voice  sound,  in  order  to  show 
approval  of  the  action  performed  and  tell  him 
that  it  was  the  action  desired.  In  order  to  teach 
him  to  raise  the  right  fore-leg  we  place  ourselves 
opposite  the  right  shoulder,  make  a  sign  with  the 
right  arm  and  strike  him  with  the  whip  held  in 
the  left  hand  hidden  along  the  left  leg. 

If  we  associate  a  word,  (which  for  him  is  a 
sound)  to  the  sign  to  which  we  have  taught  him  to 
execute  an  action,  the  horse  will  learn  to  execute 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  159 

the  action  at  the  word  and  we  have  the  substitu- 
tion of  the  word  for  the  sign. 

It  is  not  true  that  the  horse 

guesses  what  it  is  desired  to  make  him  do  ivhen 

he  is  led  with  the  lounge  or  ridden. 

The  horse  keeps  well  in  mind  the  lounge  and 
whip  aids  and  the  points  of  the  riding  school  to 
which  we  go  in  order  to  induce  him  to  go  to 
other  points,  and  the  aids  which  are  given  him 
on  horseback  and  which  are  employed  to  make 
him  go  through  the  various  movements,  and  even 
the  special  motions  we  make  in  the  saddle  with 
our  body  unconsciously  before  giving  him  the  va- 
rious aids  required  to  make  him  go  through  the 
required  actions. 

Erom  these  motions,  constantlv  made  before 
giving  him  the  aids  suited  to  putting  him  through 
the  various  actions,  the  horse  understands  and 
foresees  the  action  which  it  is  desired  to  make  him 
perform  and  the  aids  which  will  be  given  him, 
and  does  not  wait  for  them  but  executes  forthwith 


160  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

the  action  wliicli  it  is  intended  to  make  him  go 
through. 

In  order  to  make  him  change  hand  when  led 
by  tlie  lounge  we  cause  him  to  slacken  his  pace 
and  shorten  the  lounge  folding  it  up,  then  we  pull 
him  towards  the  centre,  and  in  doing  so  we  our- 
selves go  back.  The  horse  which  has  observed  all 
these  things,  on  the  first  motion  made  with  the 
arms  to  fold  up  the  lounge  has  immediately  under- 
stood that  it  is  desired  to  make  him  change,  and 
he  comes  to  the  centre  to  change  without  waiting 
for  other  signs  or  aids. 

On  horseback  his  being  made  to  go  through 
an  action  is  preceded  by  the  various  preparatory 
aids,  and  the  rider,  when  he  has  conceived  the  idea 
of  putting  him  through  an  action,  unknowingly 
prepares  himself  to  give  him  the  required  aids  by 
making  special  motions  with  his  body,  or  gives 
the  first  aid  by  habit  without  noticing  that  he  does 
so.  The  horse  which  is  attentive  has  understood 
from  tliese  special  motions  or  from  the  first  aid 
inadvertently  given  what  his  rider  desires,  and 
does  it  without  Avaitiug  for  the  other  aids. 


HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS  161 

Thus  he  goes  aside  on  every  inclination  of  the 
body  on  one  side ;  he  traverses  immediateh^  on 
more  weight  being  put  upon  one  stirrup  and  does 
not  wait  for  the  hand  and  leg  aid;  he  gallops 
immediately  on  being  bent  in  and  raised,  and  does 
not  wait  for  the  outside  leg  aid.  Slackening  speed 
and  stopping  on  horseback  is  always  associated 
with  inclining  the  body  backward,,  and  the  horse, 
which  has  already  observed  this  many  times,  has 
understood  that  the  inclining  of  tlie  body  back- 
wards by  the  rider  signifies  stopping,  and  stops  on 
the  body  being  inclined  backwards  without  waiting 
to  be  forced  to  stop  by  the  hand. 

It  is  therefore  not  the  horse  who  guesses  the 
intentions  of  his  rider  but  the  rider  himself  who 
reveals  his  intentions  to  his  horse  by  his  inadver- 
tently-made motions  or  aids.  This  fact  of  the  horse 
foreseeing  what  he  will  be  called  upon  to  do  is 
good,  because  he  prepares  himself,  but  it  is  bad 
when  the  horse  anticipates  and  makes  the  evolu- 
tions before  the  aids  are  given  him  by  the  rider 
as  in  doing  so  he  holds  back  and  does  not  make 
them  in  the  fine  raised  position    wliich    would   be 


11 


162  HOW   THE    HORSE    LEARNS 

desirable.  To  avoid  his  thus  making  movements  in 
advance  it  is  necessary  to  prevent  him  making 
them,  so  as  to  show  that  he  must  not  make  them 
before  he  receives  orders,  i.  e.  aids. 

Things  which  the  horse  is  taught 
for  spectacular  purposes. 

For  teaching  most  of  the  following  special 
things,  as  has  already  been  said,  it  is  better  to  have 
the  horse  held  isolated  bv  two  men  with  tAvo  loun- 
ges  attached  to  the  two  side-rings  of  the  cavesson 
at  one,  two,  or  three  yards  or  more  distance  from 
the  horse  as  best  suited  to  teach  the  action. 

It  appears  that  the  things  which  horses  are  now 
made  to  perform  in  circuses  are  of  ancient  date. 
Oaracciolo  and  Oorte  of  Pavia,  writers  of  the  IG.th 
century,  in  order  to  prove  the  intelligence  of  horses, 
mention  the  marvellous  games  which  they  perfor- 
med. They  should  have  said  that  these  games  per- 
formed by  the  horses  in  the  circus  proved  on  the 
contrary  the  cleverness  and  intelligence  of  the  men 
who  had  taught  them.    They    did    such    surprising 


HOW  THE   HORSE   LEARNS  163 

things  that  at  Aries  a  Neapolitan  and  his  horse 
were  burnt  for  practising  magic,  and  the  same  fate 
befell  Bankes'  horse  31orocco  which  is  mentioned 
by  Shakespeare. 

Things  are  marvellous  to  those  who  do  not  see, 
do  not  understand  hoAV  they  are  done,  and  circus 
masters  have  kept  up  this  idea  of  their  marvel- 
lousness  by  keeping  them  secret.  The  circus  master 
tells  the  horse  in  a  loud  voice  to  perform  a  given 
action.  He  gives  thii<  order  in  order  to  let  the 
public  hear  it.  Of  course  the  horse  does  not  under- 
stand it.  But  the  circus  master  together  with  the 
words  of  command  uttered  in  order  to  be  heard 
by  the  public,  gives  the  horse  the  signal  at  which 
he  has  taught  him  to  perform  the  movement  with- 
out the  public  perceiving  or  noticing  it.  Thus  in 
the  eyes  of  the  public  the  horse  has  carried  out 
the  order  uttered,  but  in  reality  he  has  carried  out 
the  order  given  by  the  signal. 

The  circus  master  speaks  to  the  horse  in  order 
to  deceive  the  public  and  gives  him  the  signal 
on  which  he  has  previously  taught  him  to  perform 
the  movement  commanded  aloud.  In  order  to  teach 


164  HOW   THE   HORSE   LEARNS 

the  various  actions  perspicacity  is  required  in  the 
master  and  it  is  further  necessary  to  know  how 
to  choose  horses  of  suitable  intelligence.  All  the 
actions  performed  in  the  circus  are  done  in  this 
way;  the  spoken  order  is  given  in  order  that  it 
should  be  heard  by  the  public  and  the  horse  is 
made  to  carry  out  that  order  by  a  certain  signal. 
The  horse  is  taught  to  perform  many  actions, 
but  separately  on  different  signals,  and  afterwards 
he  is  made  to  perform  a  complex  action,  i.  e.  to 
perform  several  simple  actions  one  after  the  other, 
so  as  to  represent  a  reasoned  process.  A  handker- 
chief is  hidden  under  a  heap  of  sand  at  a  spot  in 
the  circus  over  which  the  horse  will  be  made  to 
pass.  He  is  ordered  to  look  for  it  and  bring  it  and 
he  is  made  to  go  at  a  walk  to  the  spot  where  it 
is  hidden.  Having  arrived  at  one  step  from  the 
heap  of  sand  among  which  the  handkerchief  is 
hidden  the  circus  master  makes  the  sign  to  stop 
and  the  horse  stops ;  by  another  sign  he  tells  him 
to  paw  the  ground^  and  being  at  the  right  distance 
from  the  heap,  the  heap  is  destroyed  and  the 
handkerchief  is  found.    By    another    sign    he    tells 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  165 

the  horse  to  seize  it  with  his  teeth  and  the  horse 
seizes  the  handkerchief  with  his  teeth  and  carries 
it.  These  actions  have  been  taught  separately  and 
joined  together  by  the  circus  master  in  order  to 
make  it  appear  that  the  horse  has  himself  thought 
of  looking  for  the  handkerchief  and  bringing  it, 
whilst  the  horse  has  performed  the  several  actions 
on  the  several  signals  associated  with  them.  By 
repeating  these  actions  the  horse  also  remembers 
them  and  does  them  better  and  more  readily,  and 
I  think  that  the  horse  which  has  manv  times 
sought  the  handkerchief  comes  to  understand  that 
the  heap  of  sand  contains  the  handkerchief. 

It  is  the  same  as  regards  making  the  horse 
write  the  name  of  a  city  or  of  a  spectator.  The 
letters  of  the  alphabet  designed  on  pieces  of  thin 
planking  attached  at  a  right  angle  to  other  pieces 
of  planking  to  make  them  stand  upright  and  easy 
to  grasp  with  the  teeth  are  arranged  on  the  gTound 
in  a  circle  at  intervals  of  one  vard  or  more.  To 
produce  the  illusion  in  the  spectators  the  circus 
master  with  a  loud  voice  commands  the  horse  to 
write  a  name   and  makes  him  walk  round    inside 


16t>  HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS 

the  circle  formed  Ijy  the  letters  and  he  accom- 
panies the  horse  walking  some  steps  away  from 
him  in  a  smaller  circle.  Whilst  the  horse,  wal- 
king in  the  circle  formed*  by  the  letters,  arrives 
at  the  first  letter  of  the  name  which  he  is  to  write 
the  circus  master  gives  him  the  signal  to  stop,  and, 
immediately  after,  the  signal  to  seize  the  letter, 
and  immediately  after,  the  signal  to  come  to  him. 
When  the  horse  brings  him  the  letter  the  circus 
master  draws  back  to  the  centre  of  the  circle, 
takes  the  letter  from  his  mouth  and  places  it  on 
the  ground.  This  being  done  the  circus  master 
makes  the  horse  walk  round  in  the  circle  anew 
and  bring  successively  the  other  letters  in  the  order 
required  to  form  the  name.  Thus  the  name  is 
formed,  but  it  is  not  the  horse  which  has  formed 
it.  The  horse  has  seized  and  brought  the  several 
letters  on  the  signals  to  seize  them  and  bring  them. 
The  signs  with  which  it  is  usual  to  make  the 
horse  stop  whilst  he  is  walking  in  the  circle  are: 
to  make  a  step  towards  him  and  stop  opposite  the 
shoulder  or  the  head,  as  thus  no  motive  for  advan- 
cing or  receding  is  given,  and  to  point  the  tip  of 


HOW    THE   HORSE    LEARNS  167 


the  whip  a  little  in  front  of  the  fore  legs  near  the 
ground  which  is  a  threat  against  advancing,  and 
to  go  and  caress  him.  The  signals  for  starting  and 
advancing  are :  raising  the  whip,  the  master's  turn- 
ing to  him  his  side,  walking  and  menacing  him 
with  the  whip,  SAvinging  it  round  high  and  back- 
Avards  and  in  the  same  direction  as  the  horse  is 
to  go.  When  he  has  learnt  to  stop  promptly  on  the 
stopping  signal  he  can  be  ordered  to  point  out  the 
person  avIio  has  a  special  coat  or  hat  because  the 
master  Avill  give  him  the  signal  to  stop  when  the 
horse  reaches  the  person  Avearing  it. 

For  teaching  to  apparently  choose  and  form 
words  tlie  circus  master  in  making  the  horse  go 
round  in  tlic  circle  holds  him  with  a  thin  black 
cord  attached  hrst  to  the  middle  ring  of  a  light 
cavesson  and  later  at  the  back  of  the  cavesson  to 
show  less.  The  cord  must  be  thin  and  black  for 
the  purpose  that  the  horse  may  not  notice  it  and 
may  believe  himself  free.  The  cord  is  left  not 
stretched  and  is  only  used  if  necessary  to  oblige 
the  horse  to  go  in  the  circle  and  not  outside  and 
to  stop. 


168  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 


Teaching  the  horse  to  he  afraid 

of  a  man  dressed  in  red,  not  to  be  afraid 

of  a  man  dressed  in  ivhite, 

to  be  afraid  of  a  given  object  or  of  a,  given  place. 

A  servant  dissuaded  his  mistress  from  the  idea, 
which  involved  great  trouble  to  him,  of  keeping 
a  number  of  cats,  by  making  them  appear  posses- 
sed by  demons.  He  did  it  in  this  way.  He  gave 
them  food,  and  whilst  they  were  eating  drew  from 
his  pocket  a  long,  strong  and  thick  rosary,  and 
whipped  them.  After  having  made  them  run  about 
for  some  time  by  beating  them  he  replaced  the 
rosary  in  his  pocket  and  allowed  tliem  to  eat.  Thus 
the  cats  learnt  not  to  eat  on  being  shown  the 
rosary  aud  to  eat  when  the  rosary  was  replaced  in 
the  pocket. 

This  man  possessed  sagacity.  Bad  or  good  asso- 
ciations may  be  coupled  with  anything.  A  bad 
association  may  be  coupled  with  red  clothing  and 
the  horse  may  be  taught  to  be  afraid  of  the  red 
clothing    by    having    him    severely    ill-treated   by 


HOW    THE    HORSE    LEARNS  169 

a  man  dressed  in  red.  Good  associations  may  be 
coupled  with  white  ch)thiug  and  he  may  be  tanght 
not  to  be  afraid  of  white  ch>thing'  by  causing  him 
to  be  caressed  and  to  be  given  something  to  eat 
by  a  man  dressed  in  white. 

Evil  associations  may  be  coupled  with  any 
object  and  he  may  be  taught  to  be  afraid  of  it  by 
presenting  the  object  to  him  and  having  him  frigh 
tened  or  beaten  bv  someone,  and  ceasinii*  to  beat 
him  on  making  the  object  disappear  from  his  sight. 
The  appearance  of  the  object  before  him  is  avsso- 
giated  with  his  being  beaten.  The  disappearance 
of  the  object  is  associated  with  the  cessation  of 
beating. 

An  Abbot  of  Brittany  in  the  thirteenth  century 
had  several  fine  horses.  A  nephew  wanted  to  have 
a  particularly  good  one  and  the  abbot  would  not 
let  him  have  it.  As  the  abbot  was  accustomed  to 
read  his  breviary  on  horseback  the  nephew  taught 
the  horse  to  make  jumps  Avhen  the  breviary  was 
taken  out  by  taking  it  out  and  exciting  him  to 
jump.  When  next  the  abbot  went  for  a  ride  the 
horse  did  not  fail  to  make  jumps    when    he   took 


170  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

out  the  breviary  and  the  abbot  was  afraid  aud 
believed  the  horse  had  grown  vicious  and  gave 
him  to  his  nepliew. 

The  horse  may  be  caused  to  acquire  dislike 
and  fear  of  a  given  place  by  guiding  him  to  that 
place  repeatedly  and  there  always  having  him 
beaten.  Passing  along  the  place  in  wliicli  he  was 
always  l^eaten,  this  place  recalls  to  his  mind  the 
punishments  and  makes  him  afraid  and  he  desires 
to  escape  or  turn  back.  The  associations  of  fear  and 
tliose  of  ill-treatment  coupled  with  given  objects 
do  not  need  to  be  repeated  many  times  in  order 
to  be  learnt.  With  manv  horses  once  is  sufficient 
whilst  the  associations  of  caresses  coupled  with  gi- 
ven objects  must  be  repeated  many  times  in  order 
to  be  remembered  bv  other  horses. 


Teaching  him   to  seize  with   tlie  teeth. 

As  has  been  stated,  in  order  to  teach  him  spe- 
cial actions  in  which  ^valking  is  not  required  the 
horse  must  be  made  to  stand  still  alone,   held   by 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  171 

two  men  each  about  one,  two  or  three  yards  or 
more  away  from  liim,  with  two  h)uno'es  attached 
to  the  cavesson. 

The  idea  of  seizinjo-  with  tlic  teeth  and  the  ac- 
tion of  seizing  with  tlie  teeth  are  called  forth  in 
him  by  holding  in  front  of  his  month  an  object, 
not  a  hard  one  so  that  he  should  not  liaTc  jin  un- 
pleasant sensation  in  seizing  it,  but  one  which  is 
thin  and  easv  for  him  to  seize,  and  bv  luncliinjjc 
him  behind  the  second  bone  of  the  shoulder  where 
he  feels  tickling.  Pinching  him  gives  rise  in  him 
to  the  idea  of  biting,  excites  him  to  bite  in  order 
to  stop  the  tickling  irritation  and  the  excitation 
due  to  the  pinches,  and  tinding  in  front  of  his 
mouth  the  object  held  there,  he  bites  the  object. 
The  voice  signal  to  advance  which  he  already 
knows  may  assist  in  exciting  him  to  bite  the  object 
if  associated  with  the  pinches. 

As  soon  as  he  bites  and  seizes  the  object  the 
pinching  is  stopped,  he  is  caressed  and  spoken  to 
soothingly,  and  is  given  something  to  eat  which  he 
likes ;  so  he  understands  that  the  action  he  is  requi- 
red   to    perform   is    to    seize    the    object    with    his 


172  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 


teeth.  The  first  time  he  seizes  it  he  lets  it  go  imme- 
diately. Afterwards,  in  order  that  he  should  learn 
to  hold  it  fast  for  some  little  time,  he  is  pinched 
again  immediately  on  his  letting  it  go,  and  then  he 
seizes  it  again,  the  pinching  being  stopped  as  soon 
as  he  takes  hold  of  the  object  afresh,  and  so  on 
several  times.  Subsequently  it  is  only  necessary 
to  make  as  if  one  were  about  to  pinch  him  by 
advancing  the  hand,  and  he  seizes  the  object  held 
in  front  without  waiting  to  be  pinched.  This  is 
equivalent  to  seizing  at  a  signal,  at  an  indication 
by  the  hand. 

Afterwards  the  object  which  he  has  seized  many 
times  is  placed  before  him  and  this  recalls  to  him 
the  associated  idea  of  seizing  it  and  he  seizes  it 
forthwith  and  has  learnt  to  seize  the  object  on  its 
merely  being  presented  to  him.  The  object  he  has 
learnt  to  seize  has  always  been  the  same,  but  then 
one  may  proceed  to  make  him  seize  others.  Thus 
by  small  changes  at  a  time,  from  the  idea  of  bi- 
ting the  horse  has  been  conducted  to  the  idea  of 
seizing  by  various  signals  of  diminishing  conspi- 
cuousness. 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  173 


The  object  which  he  is  accustomed  to  seize  is 
held  in  front  of  him  lower,  and  he  is  made  to 
seize  it  lower.  It  is  placed  on  the  ground,  and  he 
seizes  it  on  the  ground.  It  is  taken  from  his  mouth 
and  he  is  caressed  and  given  something  to  eat,  and 
waits  for  it  to  be  taken  from  his  mouth  in  order 
to  have  this  something  to  eat.  We  draw  back  a 
little  in  doing  this  and  the  idea  comes  to  him  of 
following  after,  with  the  object  in  his  mouth,  so 
that  it  may  be  taken  out  and  he  may  be  given 
the  morsel  to  eat  which  has  been  given  to  him  at 
other  times.  Thus  bv  varic^us  successions  of  small 
modifications,  from  the  idea  of  biting  called  forth 
at  first  he  is  conducted  to  carrying  and  })ringing 
an  object  held  in  his  mouth. 

Teaching  Mm  to  raise   7m  lefffi  aJternateh/ 
and  hnocJt'  at  the  door. 

Standing  at  the  side  of  the  left  fore-leg  whilst 
the  horse  is  held  by  two  men  distant  one,  two, 
three  or  mor(^  yards  from  him  Avith  two  lounges 
and  looking    at   the    horse's    eye,    with    the    whip 


174  HOW   THE   HORSE    LEARNS 

held  in  the  right  hand  we  touch  the  left  foreleg 
just  behind  the  knee  or  the  shin  and  this  touching 
is  repeated  with  increasing  strength  until  becom- 
ing vexed  he  gives  a  forward  stroke  with  the 
foot.  With  this  mav  further  he  associated  the  ad- 
vancing  voice  signal  in  order  to  incite  him  to 
move  his  leg  as  said  above.  As  soon  as  he  makes 
this  movement  with  his  leg  he  is  spoken  to  sooth- 
ingly and  caressed,  i.  e.  approval  is  shown  and  he 
understands  that  touching  him  with  the  whip  be- 
hind the  knee  means  that  he  is  to  raise  his  left 
leg  and  make  a  pawing  movement. 

Standing  at  the  side  of  the  right  leg  and  looking 
at  the  eye  of  the  horse,  with  the  Avhip  held  in  the 
left  hand  we  touch  the  right  foreleg  just  behind 
the  knee  or  the  shin,  and  this  touching  is  repea- 
ted until  becoming  vexed  he  raises  his  leg  and 
makes  a  pawing  movement.  He  is  immediately 
caressed  and  he  understands  that  touching  him  with 
the  whip  means  that  he  is  to  raise  his  right  fore- 
leg and  make  this  movement.  This  raising  of  the 
leg  is  taught  him  in  order  to  prepare  him  to  go 
througli  the   Spanish    walk    (short    trot    with    very 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  175 


i 


high  action)    and    to    teach    him   to    knock   at  the 

door. 

In  order  to  teach  him  to  knock  at  the  door 
he  is  placed  close  to  the  door  at  such  a  distance 
that  in  making  the  pawing  movement  he  touches 
the  door  and  produces  the  noise  of  rapping.  On 
making  this  pawing  movement  and  on  the  above 
noise  being  heard  he  is  caressed,  and  immediately 
understands  rapping  at  the  door. 

From  touching  and  striking  the  fore-legs  be- 
hind the  knee  in  order  that  he  may  raise  them, 
we  may  proceed  to  make  him  raise  them  on  a  sig- 
nal being  given  by  pointing  the  whip  towards 
them.  The  whip  is  very  markedly  pointed  towards 
the  back  of  the  knee  and  held  pointed  for  one 
moment  and  the  voice  signal  for  advancing  being 
given  the  back  of  the  knee  is  struck  rather  hard 
if  he  does  not  raise  the  leg.  A  few  repetitions  of 
this  teach  him  to  raise  the  fore-leg  on  the  mere 
pointing  of  the  whip  towards  the  leg  without  wait- 
ing for  it  to  be  struck. 

From  making  him  raise  the  left  fore-leg  on  a 
signal  by  the  whip  pointed  towards  the  leg  we  may 


176  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

proceed  to  make  liim  raise  it  at  a  sign  with  the  hand 
and  arm  extended  towards  the  leg.  We  must  look 
the  horse  in  the  eye  and  make  a  marked  sign  with 
the  left  hand  and  arm  extended  in  the  direction 
of  the  left  fore-leg,  holding  tliem  in  that  position 
a  moment.  The  arm  is  withdrawn  and  after  a  short 
interval  the  left  arm  is  anew  markedly  extended 
towards  the  left  fore-leg,  inciting  the  horse  with 
the  voice  sound  used  for  making  him  go  and  the 
leg  is  struck  with  the  whip  behind  the  knee.  The 
whip  must  be  held  in  the  right  hand,  quite  hidden 
along  our  right  leg,  and  should  not  draw  the  atten- 
tion of  the  horse,  not  even  at  the  moment  when 
the  leg  is  struck  behind  the  knee.  The  entire  at- 
tention of  the  horse  should  be  attracted  to  tlie  left 
arm  extended  towards  the  left  leg,  and  in  order 
that  it  should  draw  the  attention  of  the  horse  the 
arm  is  held  pointed  towards  the  left  leg  before 
striking  it,  when  striking  it  and  a  while  after  stri- 
king it.  Thus  the  horse  associates  the  arm  exten- 
ded towards  the  left  leg  with  its  being  struck,  and 
after  a  few  repetitions  learns  to  raise  the  leg  on 
seeing  the  arm  directed  towards  the  leg  without 
waiting  to  be  struck. 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  177 

In  this  way  the  horse  has  learnt  that  pointing 
towards  the  leg,  making  a  signal  towards  the  leg 
with  the  whip  or  with  the  arm  and  hand  stretched 
out,  precedes  striking  the  leg,  and  he  does  not  wait 
for  it  to  be  struck,  raising  it  forthwith.  If  the  voice 
sound  up,  up  is  associated  with  striking  him  behind 
the  knee  he  learns  to  raise  the  leg  at  this  sound. 
The  same  method  with  suitable  modifications  is 
used  to  teach  him  to  raise  the  right  leg  at  the 
signal  of  the  right  arm  extended  in  the  direction 
of  the  right  leg. 

In  order  to  teach  him  to  kick  with  a  hind 
foot  and  strike  at  the  door  with  a  hind  foot  the 
liorse  is  held  in  an  isolated  position  by  two  lounges, 
with  his  hind  feet  in  the  proximity  of  the  door 
of  the  riding  school  and  is  excited  with  the  tip 
of  the  whip  at  the  pasterns  of  the  hind  legs  until 
in  anger  he  gives  a  kick  that  makes  a  noise  agar 
inst  the  door  which  he  hears.  The  teacher  imme- 
diately goes  up  to  liis  head,  caresses  him,  speaking 
to  liim  conciliatingly,  and  he  learns  that  kicking 
or  striking  at  the  door  is  what  he  is  desired 
to  do. 


12 


178  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 


TeacJdng  him  to  do  the  Spdnish  walk. 

In  a  preceding  paragraph  he  has  been  taught 
to  lift  up  the  two  fore-legs  and  paw  with  them 
alternately,  and  these  are  thus  prepared  for  going 
through  the  Spanish  walk.  It  is  now  necessary  to 
prepare  the  hind  legs,  and  this  is  done  as  follows. 
The  horse  is  held  by  two  men  with  two  lounges 
and  cavesson.  The  teacher  places  himself  on  the 
left  side  of  the  horse  standing  somewhat  behind 
the  shoulder,  facing  the  body  of  the  horse,  and 
close  to  it:  with  his  left  hand  he  holds  the  reins 
of  the  snaffle  firmly  and  equally  on  the  withers, 
and  with  his  right  hand  he  holds  the  whip  hori- 
zontally along  the  spine  with  the  tip  on  the  croup, 
one  palm  above  the  rump.  In  this  position  with 
the  left  hand  he  prevents  the  horse,  more  or  less 
as  may  be  required,  from  advancing,  from  which 
he  is  prevented  likewise  by  the  two  men  holding 
the  two  lounges,  that  he  may  advance  little  and 
make  high  movements. 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  179 


While  the  teacher  encourages  him  by  repeated 
voice  signals  for  exciting  motion  he  raises  the  whip 
and  beats  with  it  small  and  increasing  strokes  on 
the  croup,  now  on  the  right  and  now  on  the  left 
alternately.  (Striking  always  in  the  middle  of  the 
vertebral  column  does  just  the  same  as  regards 
making  him  raise  first  one  leg  and  then  the  other 
because  after  one  he  must  move  the  other.)  Thus 
the  horse  learns  to  raise  the  hind  legs  alternately, 
and  allowing  him  to  advance  a  little  he  will  make 
a  few  steps  of  marked  trot  movement. 

This  exercise  must  be  re}>eated  many  times  for 
many  davs  in  order  that  he  should  learn  to  do  the 

C  I' 

Spanish  walk,  but  it  should  be  kept  short  only 
lasting  a  few  minutes  each  time  with  intervals  of 
rest  during  which  his  head  is  left  free.  He  should 
be  allowed  to  hold  his  head  rather  low  when  doing 
it,  in  order  to  facilitate  his  raising  the  hind  legs, 
The  holding  back  is  necessary  in  order  to  force 
him  to  make  short  and  high  movements.  If  he  is 
not  held  back  he  advances  and  makes  extended 
movements.  After  he  has  learnt  to  do  the  Spanish 
walk  held  in  this  fashion  he  will  do  it  when  rid- 


180  HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS 

den  if  excited  by  aids  for  going  and  held  back  by 
the  hand. 

I  have  described  how  circus  masters  teach  their 
tricks  in  order  to  show  how  the  horse  learns  but 
horses  meant  for  ordinary  use  ought  never  to  be 
taught  tricks  as  it  only  spoils  them  and  this  is 
particularly  true  of  what  is  called  the  Spanish 
walk  and  the  school  jumps. 

In  the  sixteenth  century  school  jumps  were 
much  in  vogue  and  all  knights  were  anxious  to  sho>\ 
their  skill  in  making  their  horses  do  them  for  the 
sake  of  being  admired  by  the  ladies  who  sat  in  the 
balcony  as  it  was  then  the  custom. 

Olaudio  Corte  a  nobleman  of  Pavia,  who  was 
some  time  in  the  service  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  ju- 
diciously noted  that  school  jumps  had  no  practical 
utility,  damaged  horses  and  were  not  to  be  tauglit 
to  horses  intended  for  military  use  as  they  might 
mistake  the  aids  of  hand  and  sj^urs  given  to  make 
them  run  and  believe  themselves  requested  to  make 
school  jumps  with  the  consequence  of  the  rider 
being  easily  killed  by  the  enemy. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  Nicolo  Rosselmini  a 


HOW    THE    HORSE    LEARNS  181 

nobleman  of  Pisa  who  was  the  first  to  study  the 
horse's  mechanism  made  the  same  remark  about 
too  much  union  as  it  much  diminishes  the  pace. 
What  is  wanted  by  the  rider  is  that  the  horse 
should  go  well  and  that  he  should  be  able  to  control 
him.  This  was  known  to  Xenophon  as  well  as  other 
things  which  seem  to  be  ignored  nowadays. 

Imitation  is  a  means  of  teaching. 

Imitation  is  performing  the  same  action  as 
others  perform,  and  arises  from  association  of  exam- 
ple ;  it  is  a  better  means  than  any  other  of  teach- 
ing and  persuading  a  horse  to  go  through  an 
action  in  case  of  fear  or  repugnance.  The  example 
of  another  liorse  going  away  from  him  gives  him 
the  idea  of  imitating  him,  of  following  him.  This 
action  is  contributed  to  also,  to  a  great  extent,  by 
the  idea  of  not  wishing  to  be  abandoned,  aban- 
donment being  contrary  to  his  instinct  of  loving 
and  seeking  the  companionship  of  other  horses. 
Seeing  another  horse  pass  or  run  in  front  invites 
and  incites  him  to  follow,  even  if  he  at  first  had 


182  HOAV    THE    HORSE    LEARNS 

resisted  going  forward.  If  he  is  afraid  to  go  into 
the  water,  seeing  a  man  or  another  horse  go  in  is 
the  most  persuasive  argument  to  induce  him  to  do 
so.  Seeing  another  horse  pass  over  a  small  obsta- 
cle incites  him  to  try  to  pass  over  it.  The  man 
who,  having  stood  still  with  him,  begins  to  walk, 
invites  him  to  imitate  and  fcdlow  him.  The  man 
who  stops  whilst  walking  in  front  or  at  the  side 
of  him  invites  the  horse  to  imitate  him  and  stop. 

This  is  due  also  in  great  part  to  the  action  of 
being  pulled  forward  by  the  lounge  which  he  felt 
Avhen  the  man  was  advancing,  and  from  the  phy- 
sical opposition  which  the  man  made  him  feel 
with  the  lounge  on  stopping,  which  things  he  re- 
members. 

If  he  is  afraid  of  any  object  and  does  not  wish 
to  pass  it,  seeing  the  man  or  another  horse  go 
ahead  is  the  best  mode  of  persuading  him  to  pass 
it  and  of  getting  rid  of  his  fear.  It  is  understood 
that  the  man  must  have  gained  the  contidence  of 
the  horse.  If  he  were  afraid  of  the  man  he  would 
not  be  encouraged  to  pass  the  object  of  fear  becau- 
se he  would  be  afraid  even  of  following  the  man. 


HOW    THE    HORSE    LEAENS  183 


fc 


He  should  not  be  allowed  to  perform 

actions  ivith  an  idea  and  in  a  manner  contrary 

to  the  idea  of  obedience. 

The  action  of  traversing  may  also  be  obtained 
from  the  horse  who  goes  against  the  spur  by  ap- 
plying the  spur  on  the  side  on  which  it  is  desired 
to  make  him  traverse  instead  of  the  aid  given  on 
tlie  opposite  side,  because  he  traverses  on  that  side 
in  order  to  go  against  the  spur,  if  he  ha*  acqui- 
red the  vice  of  traversing  against  the  spur.  This 
he  does  owing  to  his  resistance  and  self-will  and 
he  should  not  be  allowed  to  do  it  because  it  con- 
lirms  him  in  the  idea  of  disobedience  and  reaction. 

Teachimi  him  to  leave  off  doing  some  action 
which  is  not  desired. 

Teaching  him  not  to  perform  an  action  which 
he  performs  but  which  is  not  desired  is  effected 
by  associating  it  immediately  Avith  disapproval  or 
pain,  represented  by  threatening  look,  threatening 


184  HOW    THE    HORSE    LEARNS 

voice  or  gesture,  and  if  necessary  by  piinisliment 
whenever  he  does  so,  until  he  gives  up  doing  so. 
Dogs  and  cats  are  taught  not  to  commit  a  nuisance 
in  the  room  by  rubbing  their  noses  in  the  refuse. 
They  remember  this  well,  as  it  is  a  punishment 
which  they  dislike  exceedingly. 

On  foot  the  best  means  of  giving  associations 
of  disapproval  to  the  horse  are  the  aids  and  punish- 
ments of  the  cavesson,  because  they  act  upon  the 
seat  of  the  intelligence  and  will  and  do  not  give 
rise  to  reactions  as  do  the  whip  punishments.  On 
horseback,  in  order  to  show  disapproval  of  the 
actions  he  performs  and  is  not  desired  to  perform, 
he  may  be  punished  with  a  whip,  by  a  raising 
action  of  the  hand,  and  with  the  spurs,  or  even 
by  all  three  together.  The  whip  and  hand  raising 
punishments  are  better  than  the  spurs  if  the  horse 
is  excited  to  react  by  the  spurs  and  if  it  has  not 
been  possible  to  accustom  him  to  yield  to  the  spurs 
i.  e.  to  advance  instead  of  reacting  against  them. 
The  raising  action  of  the  hand  is  a  punishment, 
and  shows  disapprobation  and  is  also  a  prevention 
of  croupades  in  the  horse  that  throws  up  the  croup 


HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS  185 

on  the  spurs  being  applied.  Associated  with  the 
use  of  the  whip  and  the  spurs  it  may  break  him 
of  the  desire  to  react  against  the  spurs. 

Necessity  of  (living  the  horse  the  hahit  of  jierformiuf/ 
the  actions  taught  him. 

The  actions  which  animals  perform  are  called 
forth  either  by  the  decided  will  to  perform  them 
or  because  the  habit  of  performing  them  has  been 
acquired.  The  actions  performed  by  habit  no  lon- 
ger need  the  direct  aid  of  the  will ;  tliey  are  gone 
through  mechanically  without  thought  and  without 
being  noticed;  it  is  the  body  which  makes  these 
movements,  acting  only  like  a  machine.  In  order 
to  be  able  to  rely  on  everv  aid  being  obeyed  and 
producing  on  the  horse  the  eifect  of  causing  him 
to  do  what  he  has  been  taught  to  do,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  he  should  have  been  trained  to  the  habit 
of  doing  so.  Then  the  horse  has  become  a  machine, 
and  we  may  be  sure  that  on  touching  the  key  we 
shall  have  the  corresponding  movement,  and  then 
alone  he  can  be  called  trained. 


186  HOW    THE    HORSE    LEARNS 

When  the  horse  is  changed  into  a  machine  by 
habit,  his  disobedience  will  be  an  exception  only 
in  case  of  strong  fear  or  strong  excitement  arou- 
sed in  him  bv  other  horses  or  by  natural  instinct. 

Habit  is  produced  in  the  horse  by  methodical 
daily  repetitions  of  the  actions  taught  for  a  certain 
time  and  in  accordance  with  his  mental  and  phy- 
sical nature.  Until  the  horse  has  been  endowed 
with  the  habit  of  obeying  the  aids  and  performing 
the  ordinary  evolutions  in  the  riding  school  he 
must  not  be  allowed  to  be  ridden  by  an  incapa- 
ble person  or  outside  the  riding  school,  because 
he  will  be  immediately  spoilt. 

Repetition  is   necesfiary  with   a  view 

to  muMnfi  him  learn,  muMng  him  rememher,  and 

to  maintain  facility  of  execution. 

The  renewal  of  the  associations  is  the  means  of 
impressing  them  upon  the  mind,  and  the  repetition 
of  the  execution  of  the  actions  is  the  means  of 
teaching  how  to  do  them  and  of  rendering  their 
execution  better  and  more  prompt,  finally  making 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  187 


tliem  a  matter  of  habit  gone  through  without 
thought  or  requiring  very  little  attention.  The  con- 
stant, methodical  repetition  of  the  actions  taught 
is  necessary  w  ith  a  view  to  impressing  and  obtain- 
ing prompt  obedience  to  the  aids  and  an  easy 
execution  of  the  actions. 

It  is  repetition  which  teaches,  which  keeps  a 
thing  in  the  memory,  removes  repugnance  to  per- 
form a  movement,  and  causes  movements  to  be 
made  by  habit  without  being  noticed,  and  when 
the  horse  moves  by  habit  we  may  be  sure  that  on 
the  aids  being  applied  he  will  go  through  what 
is  required.  He  learns  even  illogical  things  by  dint 
of  much  repetition.  Few  repetitions  should  be  made 
at  a  time  of  the  same  action,  in  order  not  to  wea- 
ry and  fatigue  him,  which  ^^<)uld  give  rise  in  him 
to  dislike  and  opposition  to  performing  the  action. 

The  habit  of  performing  what  is  taught  only 
comes  after  many  repetitions  and  after  a  certain 
time  of  continuing  such  repetitions.  A  certain  pe- 
riod of  repetition  of  greater  or  less  length  in  ac- 
cordance w4th  the  memory  and  retentive  faculties 
of  the  horse  is  necessarv  in  order  that  he    should 


188  HOW    THE    HORSE   LEARNS 

acquire  the  habit  of  executing  the  movements. 
Therefore  the  horse' s  training  requires  a  certain 
time  and  cannot  be  completed  in  a  few  days.  Dai- 
ly repetition  of  the  actions  learnt  is  further  neces- 
sary with  a  view  to  maintaining  the  ability  of  the 
body  for  good  and  prompt  execution.  A  musical 
performer  or  a  fencing  master  who  remains  for 
some  days  without  practice  loses  something  of  the 
excellence  he  had  attained. 

How  to  maJce  the  Jwrse  forget  the  actions 
taught  hy  had  associations. 

Just  as  repetition  and  time  are  required  to 
teach  liim  the  actions  we  desire  should  be  perfor- 
med, and  to  create  tlie  habit'  of  performing  them, 
in  the  same  way  repeated  prevention  is  required 
and  time  to  make  him  forget  the  habit  of  perfor- 
ming actions  which  are  not  desired  when  once  he 
has  acquired  it.  In  the  horse  which  has  acquired 
the  habit  of  carrying  out  some  undesired  action 
or  act  of  revolt  against  the  rider  this  habit  must 
be  broken,  and  by  constant  repetitions  of  the  con- 


HOW  THE  HORSE  LEARNS  189 


trary  for  some  time  the  habit   of    doiug    so    must 
be  removed  and  replaced  by  that  of  not  doing  so. 

The  time  which  is  required  to  bring  about 
forgetfulness  of  the  habit  of  performing  an  action 
which  is  not  desired  is  proportionate  to  the  length 
of  the  time  the  habit  has  lasted,  and  to  the  nature, 
talent  and  goodwill  of  the  individual  horse.  In  the 
old  horse  it  is  more  difficult,  and  more  time  is 
required  to  remove  the  habit  of  performing  an 
action  than  in  a  young  one.  To  remove  the  bad 
association  coupled  with  an  object  in  presence  of 
which  he  was  beaten,  or  with  the  place  in  which 
he  was  beaten,  he  must  be  led  up  to  the  object 
ot  to  the  place,  always  caressing  him,  as  many 
times  as  are  necessary  to  persuade  him  that  in  the 
presence  of  the  object  or  in  that  place  instead  of 
bad  treatment  he  receives  caresses. 

If  it  is  desired  to  ])reak  a  horse  of  the  habit 
of  performing  a  bad  action  the  circumstances  must 
be  known  under  which  he  acquired  ihv  vice  of 
performing  it,  and  he  must  be  placed  under  the 
same  circumstances  anew  and  prevented  from  per- 
forming the  bad  action  under  those  circumstances. 


190  HOW   THE   HOUSE    LEARNS 

If  he  does  not  wish  to  pass  along  a  place  because 
he  was  ill-treated  there  or  took  fright,  or  an  acci- 
dent occurred  and  he  was  hurt,  he  must  l)e  led  to 
tliat  place,  and  if  he  will  not  go,  may  be  allowed 
to  stand  a  little  way  behind  and  be  kept  standing 
still  while  caressing  him  and  leaving  him  free  and 
quiet.  This  must  be  continued  for  several  days, 
bringing  him  gradually  closer  to  the  place,  and 
on  seeing  that  no  harm  is  done  him  lie  will  gra- 
dually approach  the  place  and  pass  it,  and  will 
lose  the  fear  of  that  place  and  the  memory  of  the 
fear.  If  it  is  a  question  of  removing  the  habit  of 
a  movement  of  revolt,  he  must  be  placed  under 
the  same  circumstances  under  which  he  has  ac(iui- 
red  the  habit  of  performing  it,  and  prevented  from 
doing  so,  and  this  act  of  prevention  must  be  repea- 
ted every  day  until  he  gives  up  trying  to  perform 
the  movement,  loses  the  memory  of  it  and  acqui- 
res the  habit  of  not  performing  it. 

If  he  was  ill-treated  for  some  action  which  he 
performed  and  learnt  to  make  movements  of  revolt 
with  the  special  purpose  of  personal  attack,  care 
must  be  taken  to  hold  him  in  such  a  way  as  not 


I 


HOW  THE   HORSE   LEARNS  101 


to  be  attacked,  and  to  do  nothing  to  him,  not   to 
punish  him. 

Finding  that  nothing  is  done  to  him  the  horse 
may  cease  to  make  attacks  hut  this  is  a  difficnH 
task  to  attempt  and  to  obtain  as  the  horse  having 
seen  his  superiority  to  man  very  likely  will  always 
remember  it. 


O      D 


HOW  THE  HOESE  IS  TAUGHT 
OBEDIENCE. 


This  Chapter  contains  the  theorv  and  rational 
explanation  of  the  mode  of  procedure  which  must 
be  adhered  to  in  teaching  the  horse  obedience, 
which  must  be  taught  on  foot.  The  practical  me- 
thod of  teaching  obedience  on  foot  is  by  means  of 
the  lounge  which  mode  of  instruction  if  practised 
proj)erly  improves  also  the  working  of  the  horse' s 
mechanism.  Teaching  the  horse  to  obey  the  rider  is 
effected  by  the  rider  on  horseback  by  teaching  him 
to  obey  the  aids  of  the  hands,  the  aids  of  legs 
and  spurs  and  the  aids  of  the  weight  of  the  rider's 
body.  This  is  explained  in  The  Functions  of  the 
Hdiuh  in  JRidhuj  (Edinhurgl} ,  1888,  Turnhnll  and 
Spears. 


HOW   OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT  193 

The  knowledge  of  how  to  acquire  the  confidence 
and  obedience  of  horses  is  a  special  aptitude  of 
the  peoples  to  whom  horses  are  indispensable  in 
their  life  in  order  to  avoid  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy.  The  reason  is  that  such  people  re- 
gard them  as  their  most  precious  thing,  as  their 
possible  saviours,  and  therefore  ti'eat  them  with 
care  and  love.  The  horse,  in  order  to  furnish  his 
maximum  of  utility,  should  be  a  friend  to  his  rider, 
and  in  order  that  he  mav  be  so  the  rider  must 
treat  him  with  the  idea  of  justice. 

What  is   Obedience.    Whence  it  comes. 
Obedience  by  permumon. 

To  obey  is  to  agree  to  do  a  thing  suggested 
by  another,  it  is  to  fulfil  the  will  of  others,  to  do 
w  hat  another  commands  you  to  do.  Obedience  may 
be  the  consequence  of  a  jfhf/sical  force  which  threar- 
tens  and  compels  by  fear  that  it  may  inflict  pu- 
nishment or  pain,  i.  e.  by  superiority  of  physical 
force,  or  of  a  moral  force  or  moral  influence,  of  a 
moral  ascendant  acquired  by  one  person  over  ano- 


13 


194  JIOW    OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT 

ther  by  means  of  good  offices  which  have  produ- 
ced gratitude  and  love. 

Physical  force  alone,  as  represented  by  punish- 
ment and  pliysical  coercion,  inspires  fear  and  cau- 
ses obedience,  but  on  many  occasions  only  for  so 
long  as  it  lasts,  and  it  always  awakens  dislike  and 
often  even  hatred  and  resistance.  The  timid  do  not 
rebel  against  physical  force,  because  their  fear 
overcomes  their  anger  but  the  bold  and  spirited 
re]>el  in  consequence  of  the  hdtred  which  the  infflic- 
ted  violence  produces. 

Por  this  reason  physical  force  alone  is  not  suf- 
ficient to  obtain  obedience  and  moral  force  i.  e. 
ascendancy  of  love  is  also  reijuired  to  persuade  the 
will  to  obedience.  From  the  horse  obedience  must 
also  be  obtained  by  this  ascendanci/  of  love  —  be- 
cause it  gives  him  tranquillity  of  mind ;  —  because 
as  his  service  is  required  to  be  performed  by  him  in 
a  free  state,  his  goodwill  is  required  to  perform  it 
—  because  in  order  to  be  a  willing  servant  he  must 
be  a  friend  to  man,  —  because  being  so  much  stron- 
ger than  Ave  are  it  is  not  expedient  to  contrast  our 
physical  strength  with  his. 


HOW   OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT  195 

The  obedience  which  arises  from  the  ascen- 
dancy of  love  is  complementary  to  the  obedience 
wliich  is  due  to  the  ascendancy  of  physical  force, 
each  being  complementary  to  the  other,  because 
the  obedience  due  to  the  sole  ascendancy  of  love 
would  likewise  not  be  sufficient  alone  to  restrain 
the  horse.  In  manv  cases  the  inclinations  and 
temptations  to  obey  his  own  impulses,  which  are 
given  him  by  his  instincts,  would  be  the  stronger, 
and  would  overcome  this  obedience.  Therefore  it  is 
necessary  that  obedience  should  be  due  to  an 
ascendancv  both  of  love  and  fear.  In  man  likewise 
the  mere  moral  ascendant,  the  mere  feeling  of  duty 
has  the  power  to  force  some  few  only  to  obedience. 
All  others  obey  the  moral  ascendancy  of  anyone 
if  behind  this  there  is  in  reserve  the  material  force 
whicli  can  ])hysically  compel  and  punish  them. 

By  the  two  ascendancies  of  love  and  jear^  we 
give  rise  in  the  horse  to  the  moral  necessity  of 
performing  the  actions  which  we  tell  him  to  per- 
form. This  idea  of  the  moral  necessity  of  obedience 
gives  the  feeling  of  obedience,  i.  e.  an  obedience  by 
persuasion.  This  is  the  result  of  the  horses   seeing 


196  HOW    OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT 


that  they  are  interested  in  obeying  us  because  thus 
they  avoid  the  evil  of  punishment  and  receive 
pleasure. 

In  horses  the  ascendancy  of  love  and  fear  is 
limited  to  the  person  who  lias  known  how  to  inspire 
it,  and  to  those  persons  who  know  how  to  treat 
them  in  a  suitable  manner  for  maintaining  it.  With 
them,  as  with  children,  the  moral  ascendancy  can- 
not be  attained  or  maintained  by  anyone  who  does 
not  know  the  way.  Obedience  and  disobedience  in 
children  depends  iipon  the  behaviour  of  the  Master, 
on  his  knowing  or  not  knowing  how  to  manage 
them. 

Necessity  that  obedience  he  hy  persuasion 
and  hy  hahit. 

The  horse  controls  his  own  movements  and  in 
order  to  render  us  service,  should  be  left  free ;  he 
cannot  do  anv  service  when  bound  and  he  is  ten 
times  stronger  than  we  are.  Therefore  it  is  neces- 
sary that  his  obedience  should  be  sure  and  to  be 
sure  should  be  by  persuasion,  i.  e.  should  be  foun- 


HOW    OBEDIENCE    IS    TAFGHT  107 

ded  on  the  two  ascendancies  of  love  and  feav.  In 
order  to  render  it  still  more  certain,  that  is,  con- 
stant, it  is  further  necessary  that  the  obedience  by 
persuasion  should  be  conrerted  into  a  second  nature 
hi)  hahit,  by  long  continued  acts  of  obedience  and 
by  long  continued  prevention  of  acts  of  disobedien- 
ce. An  action  which  is  performed  by  habit  is  per- 
formed without  being  noticed,  without  knowledge 
or  wish.  This  is  seen  from  the  amount  of  eifort 
and  time  required  to  overcome  an  acquired  habit. 
Obedience  hy  persuasion,  having  become  a  second 
nature  by  ludtit  has  indeed  the  etfect  of  making 
the  horse  no  longer  think  of  obeying  his  own  will 
but  only  ours,  and  we  may  rely  on  the  hahit  of 
obedience  just  as  we  may  rely  that  on  touching  a 
a  key  of  a  ])iano  the  corresponding  note  will  be 
given  forth.  The  greater  power  of  the  instinct  of 
self-preservati(m  or  of  fear  or  other  instincts  may 
cause  obedience  to  be  forgotten  for  a  moment,  but 
this  will  be  an  exception  Avhere  obedience  by  per- 
suasion has  been  developed  and  has  become  a  hahit. 


198  HOW    OBKUIEN(^E    IH    rAUGHT 


By  what  means  the  horse  is  taught  ohedietwe. 

Man,  the  principal  feature  of  whose  character 
is  vanity,  lias  i>iven  rise  to  the  proverb :  Self  love 
is  the  hey  to  the  heart.  The  liorse  has  no  vanity 
and  cannot  be  overcome  by  adulation,  but  he  like- 
wise obeys  i\\e  principle  that  love  is  inspired  by 
that  whicli  is  useful  and  that  pleasure  is  the  useful 
thinjD'  which  creates  love.  Pleasure  and  utility  ])re- 
dispose  him  to  love  and  contidence  and  to  the 
acceptance  of  obedience. 

His  susceptibility  to  being  rendered  obedient 
and  our  power  of  giving  the  feeling  of  the  duty 
of  obedience  to  the  horse  arise  from  his  instinct 
(common  to  all  animals)  of  seeMnf/  that  which  gi- 
ves pleasure  and  fearing  and  fleeing  that  which 
gives  pain,  from  his  feeling  j^leasure  from  good 
treatment  and  displeasure,  pain  and  fear  from  pu- 
nishment. The  means  which  serve  to  make  him 
feel  2^l€asure  and  pain  are  our  various  aids  and 
punishments. 


HOW    OBEDIENCE    18    TAX  GHT  VM") 

The  ascendancy  of  love  is  created  OTer  the 
horse  by  means  of  some  aids,  of  good  associations 
coupled  with  our  person,  i.  e.  good  treatment  and 
pleasures,  and  the  ascendancy  of  fear  is  created 
by  giving  him  by  means  of  other  auls  and  puni- 
shmeufs,  as'SociaHon.s-  of  snjfn'ioritt/  coupled  ^^  ith  our 
person,  i.  e.  letting  him  see  that  he  can  V>e  pre- 
vented from  following  his  own  imi)ul8es,  and  that 
he  can  be  given  <(.s.socinfions  of  ptrin,  i.  c.  jni)iis]i- 
mcnts  if  he  performs  actions  which  arc  not  (Jesircd 
and  if  he  does  not  perform  the  nctions  wich  Jtr  if< 
fold  to  do  in  a  way  i)roi)<>rtionatc  to  his  intelli- 
gence. By  this  means  benevolence  and  superiority 
are  shcAvn  him  and  his  confidence  and  obedience 
are  obtained.  After  obtaining  obedience  it  is  main- 
tained by  keeping  the  horse  l)etween  carcases  on 
the  one  hand  and  fhreatfi  and  pitnLshmcnts  on  the 
other  if  Avanted. 

If  we  desire  to  acquire  influence  over  a  person 
we  do  not  begin  by  ill-treafwf/  that  perscm,  as 
ill-treatment  would  excite  anger,  hatred  and  enmi- 
ty, Ijut  we  begin  by  doing  Jchid  offices  towards  him. 
Thus,  in  order  to  obtain  obedience  from  the  horse 


2()0  flow   OBEDIENCK   IH   TAVdll'l' 

we  must  begiu  by  giving  liim  associiitious  ol'  plea- 
sure by  adopting  good  treatment  towards  him,  and 
obtain  first  the  ascendancy  of  love  which  disposes 
him  to  obedience,  and  afterwards  the  ascendancy 
of  fear  which  confirms  it. 

This  is  all  the  more  wanted  as  the  horse  is  in 
the  highest  degree  susceptible  of  fear  and  knows 
by  instinct  what  a  bad  animal  is  the  animal  cal- 
led man  and  regards  him  as  liis  enemy  and  flees 
him.  This  belief  must  be  removed  by  treating  him 
well,  by  shewing  him  that  he  receives  no  harm 
from  us,  that  he  should  not  fear  us,  but  that  on 
the  contrary  he  has  an  advantage  from  us  in  being 
well  treated.  Eor  this  reason  before  acquiring  his 
confidence,  i.  e.  his  trust  in  us,  we  should  not  give 
him  punishment  but  always  good  treatment  and 
caresses.  If  punishments  were  given  him  in  the 
beginning  before  he  knew  us  the  idea  would  be 
maintained  in  him  that  we  are  his  enemies.  This 
is  less  necessary  with  the  domestically  reared  horse. 
With  the  horse  reared  at  liberty,  the  acquirement 
of  confidence  requires  a  long  time  and  may  be 
lost  by  a  trifle. 


HOW    OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT  201 

Like  everything  else,  obedience  is  not  obtained 
from  the  horse  in  a  day,  but  during  a  shorter  or 
longer  period  of  graduated  daily  instruction  which 
inav  last  but  a  few  davs  witli  a  horse  of  a  good 
nature.  In  teaching  the  horse  obedience,  we  begin 
hv  letting  him  do  many  thintjs  of  his  own  will 
graduall}'  preventing  some  one  or  another  of  them 
each  day  until  we  come  to  leave  none  of  them. 

His  instruction  can  begin  only  after  he  has 
been  taught  obedience. 

Way  of  teaching  him  confidence. 

The  horse  is  tranquillized  and  is  taught  to  have 
confidence  in  and  trust  us  and  is  disposed  to  obe- 
dience towards  us,  by  speaking  to  him  soothingly, 
caressing  him,  and  by  good  treatments  of  all  kinds, 
and  showing  him  that  our  person  brings  him  bene- 
fits. Ohsequium  tif/resque  domat  rabidosque  leones 
(by  kindness  the  tiger  and  the  ferocious  lion  are 
overcome),  somebody  has  said.  By  good  treatments 
the  horse  is  brought  to  believe  that  we  are  friendly 
to  him,  that  he  may  trust  us. 


202  HOW    OBEDIEXf'E    IS    TAFGHT 

At  first  the  horse  who  does  not  know  ns,  and 
probably  has  been  ill-treated  before,  believes  that 
we  also  will  be  like  the  others  who  ill-treated  him. 
Therefore  he  may  seek  to  escape  and  to  attack  us 
by  kickinu"  and  making  reactions.  These  reactions 
should  not  be  taken  into  consideration  but  should 
be  tolerated  and  not  punished.  Seeing  that  he  is 
not  punished  he  soon  quiets  down  because  he  un- 
derstands perfectly  well  that  to  go  quietly  causes 
less  fatigue,  and  he  ceases  to  believe  that  we  ap- 
proach liim  in  order  to  ill-treat  him  and  acquires 
trust  and  ((Uitidence  in  us. 


Wa//  of  showing  the  horse  our  sKperioriff/. 

He  is  shown  our  superiority  by  gradually  and 
little  by  little  preventing  him  from  doing  as  he 
would  wish ;  by  giving  him  some  punishment  if 
lie  does  not  do  what  we  wish  him  to  do,  or  if  he 
does  what  we  do  not  wish,  but  he  must  always 
be    immediately    pacified    by    caresses    so    that    he 


HOW    OIJKDIE^TE   IS    TAFGnT  208 


should  not  remain  in  an  inimical  mood.  Our  supe- 
riority over  the  horse  is  founded :  —  on  his  sensiti- 
veness  to  and  fear  of  punishment;  —  on  liis  seeing 
that  he  is  prevented  from  doinii"  what  he  wouhl 
Avish  ;  —  on  his  excitability  to  moti<m  at  f]w  least 
instii>ati<m   and  the  least  ])unishment. 

Impunity  is  an  inducement  to  crime.  For  this 
reason  it  is  needful  that  he  should  see  that  on 
disobeying  he  receives  ])unisliment  and  it  is  like- 
wise needful  that  the  [)unishment  should  liave  the 
eftect  of  giving  him  pain  so  that  he  may  be  afraid 
of  its  being  intiicted.  From  this  arises  tlic  idea  of 
authority  over  his  mind.  If  he  does  not  appreciate 
and  does  not  fear  punishment,  the  horse  will  do 
what  he  likes  because  there  cannot  be  intiicted 
upon  him  the  pain  which  \\<>uld  induce  him  to 
obedience  in  order  to  avoid  it.  Without  fear  ot* 
punishment  there  is  no  possibility  of  subordination 
and  obedience. 

The  act  of  preventing  him  from  obeying  his 
own  impulses  likewise,  although  it  is  not  an  active 
measure  like  punishment,  largely  assists  in  giving 
him  the  idea  that  we  are  superior  in    strength   to 


204  HOW    OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT 

him.  Thus  if  he  is  prevented  from  going  to  eat 
the  hay  he  sees  close  by,  altliough  he  experiences 
the  desire  to  go  and  eat  it,  there  arises  in  him 
the  idea  that  our  strength  which  prevents  him  from 
doing  so  is  superior  to  his.  It  is  the  same  with 
our  preventing  him  from  going  to  the  stable,  from 
following  other  horses. 

A  good  means  of  showing  him  our  superiority 
is  likewise  our  stimulating  by  aids,  threats  and 
punishments,  his  excitability  to  motion,  and  for- 
cing him  to  put  himself  in  motion  in  spite  of  his 
opposed  desire  not  to  move.  This  excitability  of 
his  is  the  cliief  means  of  compelling  him  to  ad- 
vance, to  perform  the  actions  we  desire  to  put  him 
through,   and  of  enabling  us  to  collect  him. 


S2Jec'ial  means  of  •showinf/  the  liorse  our  superiority 
and  how  to  employ  them. 

The  instruction  with  the  lounge  is  the  best 
suited  to  teach  obedience.  Special  means  of  show- 
ing him  our  superiority  are:   —  the  aids  and  pu- 


HOM^    OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT  205 


nishments  applied  when  instrncting  him  with  the 
lounge ;  —  the  pulls  and  oppositions  of  intermittent 
force  which  we  make  him  feel  with  the  weight 
of  our  body  placed  upon  the  cavesson  by  means 
of  the  lounge,  in  order  to  make  him  go  through 
the  movements  we  desire,  and  prevent  him  either 
making  or  preparing  to  make  other  movements  by 
his  own  impulse ;  —  the  application  of  cavesson  and 
whip  punishments  which  produce  pain  and  fear 
in  him  and  induce  him  to  make  the  movements 
we  desire,  and  not  perform  actions  of  his  own 
will  for  fear  of  receiving  such  punishment ;  —  the 
threats  which  take  the  place  of  the  punishment ;  — 
the  oppositions  made  by  fixed  force  which  we 
make  him  feel  by  tethering  him  to  a  fixed  point 
and  by  holding  him  still  against  his  will. 

As  already  stated,  oppositions  with  the  caves- 
son should  be  of  short  duration  and  intermittent, 
because  if  they  were  prolonged  they  would  give 
the  horse  occasion  to  draw  us  away  and  to  see 
that  he  is  stronger  than   we  are. 

The  fixed  power  by  which  he  is  held  back 
should  on  the  contrary   not    yield,    as   if  he    once 


206  HOW   OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT 

succeeds  in  breaking  the  rope  to  which  he  is  tethe- 
red, he  always  wishes  and  seeks  to  break  it.  If  he 
sees  that  he  cannot  break  it,  he  acquires  the  idea 
of  a  greater  power,  of  resignation  to  it,  and  no 
longer  thinks  of  breaking  it  nor  attempts  it  any 
more,  having  seen  that  he  could  not  break  it.  If 
we  tether  him  to  a  fixed  and  unyielding  point  and 
he  desires  to  go  away,  and  sees  that  he  cannot, 
and  if  we  are  near  to  tranquillize  him  by  a  soo- 
thing woice,  he  associates  with  us  his  being  unable 
to  go  away,  acquires  the  idea  that  he  cannot  go 
away  because  we  do  not  wish  it,  accepts  the  idea 
of  being  unable  to  go  away  and  resigns  himself  to 
standing  still  at  our  mere  signal  to  stop  and  stand 
still. 

Showing  him  our  superiority  by  punishments 
should  be  the  matter  of  a  moment  only,  and  after 
his  confidence  has  been  acquired  so  that  he  should 
not  be  brought  to  believe  that  we  are  his  enemies 
and  should  not  think  it  therefore  necessary  to  de- 
fend himself  from  us,  believing  his  life  to  be  in 
danger.  When  first  we  are  together  with  him  he 
should  always  be  given  pleasant  associations.  If  in 


HOW    OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT  207 


an  exceptional  case  it  lias  been  necessary  to  punish 
him,  he  must  always  be  pacified  shortly  afterwards 
by  caresses  and  a  soothing  voice  so  that  he  should 
not  remain  averse  from  us  and  should  not  conceive 
the  idea  of  hating  us.  This  rule  is  subject  to  some 
exception  with  certain  horses  whom  confidence  de- 
prives of  respect. 

In  order  to  obtain  obedience  it  is  requisite  that 
the  horse  should  see  that  he  is  conquered  and 
overcome  by  the  man  who  is  instructing  him  on 
foot;  and  he  must  not  be  induced  to  advance  or 
make  a  movement  by  other  horses  which  are  ad- 
vancing  and  give  him  the  desire  to  follow  them. 
If  the  horse  advances  because  other  horses  are 
doing  so  and  give  him  the  desire  to  follow  them, 
he  advances  on  his  own  account,  by  his  own  will 
and  not  from  obedience  to  man.  The  companionship 
and  sight  of  other  horses  should  be  made  use  of 
only  to  induce  the  horse  to  go  into  water,  to  pass 
near  an  object  of  which  lie  is  much  afraid,  and 
to  hear  and  see  the  discharge  of  fire-arms  in  the 
event  of  his  being  exceedingly  afraid  of  tlieni.  In 
other  cases  we  ourselves  must  master  the   will   of 


208  HOW   OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT 

the  horse,  aud  the  horse  must   see   that   it   is    we 
who  are  mastering  him. 

Importance  of  a  good  disposition  for  obedience. 

The  first  quality  to  be  desired  in  a  horse  is  a 
good  disposition  because  this  brings  with  it  forth- 
with obedience  and  with  obedience  he  may  be 
forthwith  controlled.  It  may  be  said  that  the  timid 
horse  is  already  obedient  and  does  not  need  to  be 
made  so.  But  the  timid  horse  is  usually  very  ap- 
prehensive aud  this  is  detrimental  to  his  use.  A 
certain  degree  of  spirit  is  good  in  horses  because 
it  adapts  them  to  more  and  better  service.  Spirit 
causes  them  to  advance  in  difl&cult  places  and  also 
to  pass  out  of  them  safely,  and  it  is  necessary  to 
do  this  sometimes  with  horses. 

Readiness  to  obedience  and  readiness  to  motion 
are  the  chief  things  to  be  desired  in  the  horse. 
On  a  horse  of  a  good  dispositien  and  willing  to  go, 
we  are  safe  and  his  instruction  is  easy.  A  good 
rider  on  a  horse  of  a  bad  dispositicm  and  little 
inclined  to   go  obtains   very   little   and   is    always 


HOW   OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT 


209 


in  danger.  Given  a  bad  will  and  a  bad  disposi- 
tion,  other  good  qualities  such  as  agility,  strength 
and  powers  of  resistance,  are  of  no  value  because 
the  horse  will  not  place  them  at  our  disposal.  The 
horse  with  a  good  nature  yields  service  freely  and 
out  of  hand.  In  order  to  get  the  sly  and  untrust- 
worthy horse  to  obey  he  must  always  be  kept  uni- 
ted and  this  very  often  cannot  be  done. 

Obedience  is  much  more  necessary  in  a  strong, 
well-fed  horse   than   in    a    weak    and    ill-fed    one. 
With  a  weak  horse  there  is  still   some   possibility 
of    liolding    him   back    by    physical    strength    but 
none  witli  a  strong  one.  The   bad-tempered    horse 
who  attacks  is  not  suited  for  the  pui-pose  of  riding 
because    he    is    not    afraid    of   punishment   and    is 
therefore  not  susceptible  of  persuasion  to  obedience. 
He    requires    many    powerful    means    of   material 
coercion,  and  if  we  succeed  in  overcoming  him  by 
them  ,  after  having  been  set  free  he  again  attacks 
man  and  is  a  continual   danger   to    man.    In    our 
countries  the  entires  are   rarely   reducible   to    obe- 
dience, and  for  this  reason  are  not  suited  for   the 
purpose  of  riding. 


U 


210  now   OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT 


Various  ways  of  proceeding  in  teachinfi  obedience, 
according  to  the  various  natures  of  horses. 

In  teaching  obedience  attention  must  be  paid 
to  the  various  natures  of  horses,  and  the  teaching 
must  be  somewhat  modified  to  suit  them.  After 
having  acquired  the  confidence  of  the  choleric 
horse,  we  should  not  be  ever  ready  to  punish  him 
because  he  would  be  angered  by  it  and  offer 
powerful  resistance.  The  timid  horse  should  not  be 
punished  because  he  will  be  entirely  discouraged. 
Some  punishment  may  be  given  even  in  the  be- 
ginning to  the  spirited  horse  and  will  do  good. 
The  timid  horse  usually  has  a  good  disposition, 
submits  to  control,  and  needs  to  be  constantly 
encouraged,  because  punishment  deprives  him  of 
all  spirit  and  bewilders  him.  The  spirited  horse 
is  in  lesser  or  greater  degree  disinclined  to  submit 
to  control  and  resists  it  with  a  greater  or  lesser 
cunning  and  shows  more  or  less  rebellion  and  revolt, 
and  some  punishment  may  be  administered  to  him. 
With  the  obstinate  horse  which  is  little  inclined  to 


HOW   OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT  211 

obey  and  to  go,  in  order  that  he  should  conceive 
the  idea  of  obedience,  we  must  show  that  we  are 
not  afraid  of  him  and  inflict  punishment  on  him 
which  causes  him  severe  pain  and  makes  him  yield. 
As  regards  the  really  bad  horse  it  is  not  ^torth 
while  dealing  with  him  as  a  good  sel'vant  cannot 
be  made  of  an  enemy  who  continually  seeks  to 
betray  and  attack. 

It  is  understood  as  already  stated  that  puni- 
shment should  not  be  given  during  the  first  time 
of  instruction  when  what  he  does  should  be  more 
or  less  tolerated  so  that  he  should  not  think  that 
we  are  his  enemies  and  wish  to  ill-treat  him.  At 
the  beginning  all  horses,  whatever  their  disposition, 
require  to  be  treated  Avell.  Those  who  have  been 
free  at  pasture  are  much  more  difficult  to  deal  with 
than  those  raised  in  the  stable.  More  policy  is 
required  and  they  must  not  be  opposed  openly 
because  they  have  a  great  deal  of  self-will.  The 
very  sensitive  and  thorough-bred  horses  require 
to  be  treated  with  greater  regard  than  ordinary 
horses.  Their  nervous  system  is  much  more  exci- 
table.  Great  care  should   be  exercised  in  applying 


212  HOW    OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT 

aids  and  punishments  to  tlioroiigh-bred  and  ner- 
vous horses.  A  punishment  may  at  times  give 
rise  in  them  to  revolt  which  would  not  have  oc- 
curred and  may  be  the  cause  of  their  not  growing 
quiet  any  more. 

The  intelligent  and  cunning  horse  studies  those 
who  are  around  him  and  understands  whether  he 
can  do  as  he  pleases.  When  once  he  has  understood 
his  superiority  it  is  difficult  to  rid  him  of  that  idea. 
Care  must  be  taken  not  to  let  him  understand  it. 

Horses  who  have  been  ill-treated  believe  that 
everyone  desires  to  ill-treat  them.  Tn  going  near 
them  it  is  necessary  to  proceed  with  caution  so 
as  not  to  be  hurt  as  they  take  the  offensive,  but 
they  must  not  be  punished  for  a  certain  time  in 
order  to  show  them  that  we  are  not  enemies.  They 
have  a  greater  need  of  being  well-treated  and  for 
a  longer  time  than  the  others  who  were  not  ill- 
treated,  so  that  they  may  regain  confidence,  forget 
and  change  the  bad  opinion  which  the  bad  treat- 
ment received  gave  them  of  man. 

Just  as  among  men  so  among  horses  there  are 
strange  and  capricious   minds    which    will    not  do 


HOW    OBEDIENCE    18    TAUGHT  213 

rightly.  If  such  horses  are  met  with  it  is  best  to 
get  rid  of  them  at  once.  There  are  some  which  are 
subject  to  feeling  excess  of  physical  spirits.  These 
must  be  given  good  exercise  with  the  lounge  until 
it  has  past  and  given  their  lesson  afterwards.  This 
likewise  contributes  to  diminishing  the  very  exces- 
sive sensitiveness  they  possess  during  this  onset 
of  animal  spirits. 


Hoiv  to  deal  with   the  op^wsitions  and  reactions 

mi(de  hjf  tJie  horse  when   being 

taught    confidence,  obedience  and  our  superioritij. 

How  til  eg  can  be  overcome. 

It  is  natural  and  in  accordance  with  his  ins- 
tinct that  the  new  horse  who  is  unaccustomed  to 
obey,  should  seek  to  resist  everything  which  would 
fetter  his  liberty,  and  that  he  should  object  to 
be  compelled  to  assume  positions  inconvenient  to 
him,  and  to  go  in  a  different  way  from  Avhat  he 
does  when  he  is  at  liberty,  causing  him  more 
fatigue,  whilst  moving  in  his  own  way,  low  on  the 


214  HOW    OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT 

forehand,  is  much  more  couveuieiit  to  him.  It  is 
our  duty  to  give  him  invstruction  by  such  gradation 
that  this  inconvenience  be  reduced  to  the  minimum 
and  he  shoukl  be  recompensed  by  caresses  and  good 
treatment.  Thus  he  is  given  tlie  least  possible  occa- 
sion for  oppositions  and  reactions. 

It  is  natural  tliat  lie  should  resist  and  that  he 
should  react  in  order  to  try  to  avoid  being  forced 
and  compelled  to  perform  the  actions  w^e  desire. 
It  lies  with  us  to  avoid  his  reactions  by  approaching 
him  and  standing  at  his  side  near  the  shoulder 
maintaining  this  position  in  all  the  moAcments  lie 
makes,  and  giving  him  instruction  under  the  gui- 
dance of  two  or  three  lounges.  In  the  beginning 
we  are  very  likely  to  have  oppositions  and  reac- 
tions from  the  new  horse  becanse  he  has  been  pro- 
bably ill-treated  or  treated  in  an  unreasonable  wav, 
and  he  has  learnt  to  oppose  and  react.  He  will 
soon  cease  otfering  oppositions  and  reactions  if 
well-treated  and  not  punished,  because  he  will  see 
that  there  is  no  motive  for  making  reactions  when 
he  is  treated  well  and  will  acquire  trust  and  conli- 
dence  in  us. 


HOW   OBEDIENCE   IS   TAUGHT  215 

Prom  this  moment  onwards  there  will  be  no 
more  oppositions  and  reactions  if  we  proceed  w  ith 
the  necessary  gradation,  and  in  a  manner  suited 
to  the  individual  mental  and  physical  nature  of  the 
horse  being  instructed.  In  the  beginning  his  oppo- 
sitions and  reactions  should  be  tolerated,  we  moving 
around  him  in  such  a  wav  as  to  avoid  beinj?  atta- 
eked,  and  treating  him  passively  by  preventing 
onl}'  what  we  can,  and  never  punishing  him  with 
the  whip  in  order  not  to  excite  his  anger  as  pu- 
nishment with  the  whip  would  make  him  think 
that  we  are  liis  enemies  and  he  could  not  acquire 
trust  and  confidence  in  us. 

Rare  and  moderate  cavesson  aids  alone  must 
be  used  as  they  have  an  imposing  effect  without 
irritating  or  exciting  anger  and  therefore  reactions 
as  do  the  whip  punishments.  If  the  first  move- 
ment of  resistance  and  every  other  act  of  revolt  is 
punished  with  the  whip  he  tmly  revolts  the  more, 
whilst  if  the}  are  not  punislied  but  are  taken  no 
notice  of,  he  in  most  cases  abandons  them. 

Most  cases  of  opposition  and  reactions  are  aver- 
come    by    patience,    by    not   taking   any    notice    of 


216  .h6W   obedience   is   tAUGHl? 

them,  as  by  not  doing  anything  we  do  not  excite 
in  him  dislike  and  anger.  He  should  be  chiefly 
made  to  see  that  his  reactions  do  not  hurt  iis 
and  do  not  matter  to  us.  If  lie  sees  that  he  hurts 
us  by  them,  or  if  he  breaks  the  cavesson  or 
lounges,  he  will  be  excited  and  take  pleasure  in 
the  action.  In  order  to  avoid  his  attacking  us  when 
instructing  him  on  foot  with  the  cavesson  and 
lounges,  it  is  requisite  we  should  know  how  to 
approach  him,  how  to  move  around  him,  so  as 
not  to  olfer  the  possibility  of  attack. 

Causes  of  oppositions  and  reactions  while 

he  is  being  taught  confidence 
and  obedience.  Hoiv  they  may  be  avoided. 

The  causes  of  oppositions  and  reactions  shown 
by  the  horse  are:  —  the  want  of  gradation  in 
showing  him  our  superioritv,  in  preventing  the 
actions  which  are  not  desired  whilst  giving  instruc- 
tion ;  —  requiring  from  him  those  actions  to  which 
his  body  has  not  been  gradually  prepared  —  ex- 
cessive  spirits,  —  fear,    —    and    his  instincts;  — 


HOW    OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUOHf  217 


inflicting  on  him  many  punishments  which  make 
him  think  we  are  his  enemies,  and  make  him  feel 
the  necessity  of  defending  himself. 

We  must  avoid  any  lack  of  the  necessary  gra- 
dation  and    not    give    him    lessons    when    he   is  in 
excessive  spirits  and  in  places    where    he    may    be 
afraid  or  when  he   is   dominated   by  his  instincts, 
and   must   not   excite   him   to    anger  by   inflicting 
punishments.  When  in  a  state  of  excessive  spirits 
or  under  the  domination  of  his    instincts    nothing- 
should   be    taught  him  or    required  from  him,  but 
he  should  be  given    exercise   to    make   it   pass  oft' 
and  distract  him    or    if   it    is    the    exercise    which 
excites  him,  his  attention  should  be  drawn  off  in 
some  other  way.  By  failing  to  do  this  we   should 
have  oppositions  and  reactions,  and  he  afterwards 
retaining  the   memory  of  having  performed  them 
Ayould    desire  to  do  them  again.  Removing    every 
motiA  e  of  discontent  and  of  enmity  in  the  horse  by 
every  kind  of  good  treatment,  by  making  him  see 
that  it  is  not  desired  to   ill-treat  him,  and   he    is 
not  ill-treated,  is  the  method  of  avoiding    as   far 
as  possible  oppositions  and  reactions. 


V. 


218  HOW   OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT 


He  should  not  he  given  any  occasion 
to  lose  obedience. 

We  ourselves  are  guilty  of  teaching  the  horse 
the  greater  part  of  oppositions  and  reactions  as, 
by  our  illogical  method  of  treating  him,  and  by 
placing  and  allowing  him  to  be  under  circumstan- 
ces ^Yhicll  produce  in  his  mind  associations  in  con- 
flict with  the  idea  of  obedience,  we  give  him  occa- 
sion to  see  that  he  is  stronger  than  we  are,  that  he 
can  do  as  he  will,  and  that  we  cannot  prevent  it. 
In  order  to  preserve  in  the  horse  the  idea  of  our 
superiority  and  of  obedience  when  it  has  been 
taught  him,  there  is  required  on  (uir  part  suitable 
treatment  which  consists  in  avoiding  giving  him  the 
opportunity,  and  placing  him  or  allowing  him  to 
])e  under  circumstances  wliich  admit  of  his  doing 
as  he  likes  and  do  not  allow  us  to  prevent  him. 

In  order  to  avoid  these  oppportunities  we  must 
avoid  doing  many  things.  He  must  never  be  given 
occasion  to  struggle  with  us  so  that  he  should 
not  see  that  our   strength    is  slight   and    apparent 


HOW    OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT  219 

only,  that  lie  is  the  stronger  and  can  oppose  and 
overcome  us.  He  should  never  be  opposed,  and  it 
should  never  be  sought  to  prevent  him  performing 
an  action  he  desires  if  we  are  not  favourably  placed 
and  do  not  possess  means  and  strength  sufficient 
for  success.  Our  requiring  from  the  horse  that  he 
should  not  perform  an  action  and  the  horse  succeed- 
ing in  performing  it  teaches  him  that  he  can 
obey  his  impulse  against  our  will,  it  makes  him 
understand  his  own  strength,  it  teaches  him  to 
have  no  respect  for  us,  not  to  esteem  us,  and  to 
disobey  us.  It  should  not  be  required  that  he  should 
perform  actions  which  from  want  of  preparation 
of  his  body  he  cannot  perform  without  experiencing 
pain.  Nothing  should  be  required  which  we  have 
not  the  power  to  compel  him  to  do.  His  anger  should 
not  be  excited  by  our  losing  patience  and  inflicting 
ill-timed  punishments.  He  should  not  be  allowed 
to  acquire  the  habit  of  doing  things  which  are 
not  good  for  us  or  which  are  not  desired.  He  should 
not  be  required  to  do  what  is  against  his  nature 
as  for  instance  to  stand  still  when  at  liberty  in 
the  open. 


220  HOW    OBEDIENCE    IS    TAUGHT 

Things  should  not  be  allowed  to  happen  which 
would  'Ave  him  occasion  to  see  his  strength  and 
his  being"  able  to  do  as  he  wishes.  The  use  of  weak 
cords  which  break  gives  him  the  idea  that  he  can 
break  them  and  he  always  seeks  to  do  so.  His 
passing  near  the  stable  before  he  is  brought  to 
obedience  may  give  him  the  temptation  of  going 
there.  If  he  cannot  be  prevented  he  immediately 
learns  that  he  is  the  stronger,  that  he  can  go  to 
the  stable  and  act  as  he   desires   against   our  will. 

At  the  beginning  many  things  should  be  tole- 
rated and  allowed  to  pass  when  requiring  from  him 
that  to  which  he  is  not  accustomed,  and  all  that 
we  do  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  him  should  be 
done  passively,  and  by  yielding  elastically  and 
intermittently  with  the  weight  of  our  body  placed 
upon  the  cavesson  through  the  lounges.  He  should 
not  be  given  provocation  by  severe  punishment 
witli  the  whip,  but  should  be  punished  only  with 
the  cavesson  and  moderateh^  and  solelv  when  ne- 
cessary. 

We  should  not  prohibit  an  action  and  then 
allow  him  to  execute  it.  We  must  proceed  without 


HOW    OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT  221 


prohibiting  many  things,  but  if  we  do  prohibit 
them,  it  must  be  maintained  at  all  costs  and  in 
any  way.  When  we  enter  into  a  struggle  with  him 
we  must  conquer  and  must  not  lose;  and  if  by 
chance  we  lose  on  a  certain  occasion,  in  a  certain 
place  und  under  certain  circumstances,  we  must 
lead  the  horse  back  to  the  same  place  under  the 
same  circumstances  and  give  him  the  same  occa- 
sion to  act  and  hold  prepared  what  is  necessary  for 
overcoming  him.  In  order  to  do  this  the  necessary 
men  must  be  at  hand  and  they  must  be  capable 
and  know  what  to  do. 

Time  required  for  teacMng  the  liorse  obedience. 

In  teaching  him  this, 

his  mechanism  must  not  be  spoilt. 

Obedience  must  be  taught  gradually  and  must 
be  rendered  a  matter  of  habit.  For  this  a  certain 
period  of  time  is  required.  This  time  however  is 
not  only  employed  in  teaching  obedience  but  also 
while  teaching  liim  obedience  by  exercising  him 
with  the  lounge  his  action  is  developed  and  made 


222 


HOW   OBEDIENCE   IS    TAUGHT 


more  regular,  he  is  taught  to  put  himself  and  go 
in  a  good  position,  and  in  those  positions  which 
are  necessary  to  us  in  order  to  have  the  mastery  of 
him  and  dominate  him  when  we  shall  ride  him. 
Thus  whilst  his  mind  is  iui^tructed  his  body  is 
also  trained,  and  owing  to  the  mutual  influence 
of  the  one  on  the  other,  by  means  of  his  mind 
his  body  is  trained,  and  by  means  of  his  body  his 
mind  is  instructed. 

Gradation  is  necessary  in  instruction  in  order 
to  avoid  oppositions  and  reactions  and  also  for  the 
purpose  of  maintaining  the  strength  of  the  back- 
bone and  legs  of  the  horse.  The  muscles  and  in 
particular  the  tendons  require  great  gradation  in 
order  to  adapt  themselves  to  the  positions  in  which 
we  need  to  place  the  horse  without  suffering  from 
them.  Instruction  should  be  given  in  such  a  way 
as  to  make  him  gain  strength,  vigour  and  elasticity, 
and  not  to  diminish  these  or  hurt  the  horse. 


^> 


rrtrrTTrrrrrrrrrrtm 


r  E  A  E. 

THE    :srATURE    OF    FEAR    IN    THE    HORSE 

AND  HOW  IT  MUST  BE  DEALT  WITH. 

HOW  HE   CAN   BE   TAUGT   NOT  TO  BE  AFRAID 


What  is  fear. 

Fear  is  a  sudden  involuntarv  nervous  comnio- 
tion  produced  by  the  conception  of  an  idea  of  being 
in  danger,  or  believing  oneself  in  danger.  In  the 
horse  it  is  occasioned  —  by  objects  which  he  sees, 
—  by  noises  he  hears  —  by  punishments,  —  by 
real  evils,  —  by  feeling  himself  touched  by  objects 
bv  which  he  is  not  accustomed  to  be  touched,  the 
more  so  if  unexpectedly,  —  by  animals  that  threa- 
ten him,  —  or  objects  coming  against  him.  —  It 
is  due  to  the  instinct  of  self-preservation  com- 
mon to  all  animals. 


224  FEAR 

Being  in  danger  or  not  does  not  make  any 
difference  in  the  fear.  Fear  is  inspired  by  being  in 
danger  as  in  the  absence  of  danger,  if  there  is  a 
belief  of  being  in  danger.  Fear  arises  from  belief 
of  danger,  and  remains  fear  even  if  there  is  no 
danger.  Fear  differs  in  degree  in  horses  according 
to  their  individual  nature,  and  at  times  is  capri- 
cious. They  occasionally  are  afraid  of  little  things 
of  which  they  should  not  be  afraid,  and  have  no 
fear  of  big  things  which  one  would  think  would 
inspire  them  ^vith  it.  It  must  depend  on  the  man- 
ner and  degree  of  impression  produced  on  them 
by  the  objects,  and  on  the  state  of  their  mind  at 
the  moment  of  their  receiving  the  impression.  Fear 
is  contagious.  Where  there  are  many  horses  if  one 
is  afraid  and  turns  back   the   others   imitate  him. 

How  fear  arises  in  the  horse. 

The  idea  and  feeling  of  fear  arise  from  expe- 
riencing a  sensation  which  calls  forth  the  idea  of 
danger.  In  the  horse  the  idea  of  fear  is  very  easily 
aroused,  because  his  nature  intended   for  running, 


FEAR  225 

lias  made  him  peculiarly  excitable  and  he  has  an 
imagination  which  magnifies  everything,  and  has 
become  proverbial.  It  may  be  said  that  fear  does 
not  arise,  but  is  innate  in  the  horse.  To  call  it 
forth  the  motion  of  a  leaf  in  the  wind  is  sufficient. 

Signs  of  fear. 

Eear  is  rarely  so  powerful  and  sudden  in  its 
onset  as  not  to  allow  of  being  perceived  first.  Even 
in  cases  of  sudden  fear  there  is  a  moment  of  fore- 
warning which  is  very  brief,  but  which  may  be  per- 
ceived by  the  practical  and  attentive  eye,  which 
all  those  who  handle  horses  should  have.  Usually 
the  horse  gives  forewarning  of  fear  by  signs  of 
gradually  increasing  intensity  if  it  is  not  excep- 
tionally and  peculiarly  sudden.  The  signs  of  fear 
are  shown  by  the  horse  in  a  gradually  increasing 
degree,  and  in  the  direction  of  the  object  of  fear. 

These  signs  are :  —  assuming  an  attitude  of 
attention  by  looking  and  listening,  —  pricking  up 
the  ears  restlessly  forward  and  backward,  and  in 
the  direction  in  which  he  thinks  he  has    heard    a 


15 


226  FEAR 

noise  or  seen  an  object  which   has    alarmed    him ; 

—  bending  the  head  and  neck  on  one  side  in  the 
direction  of  the  object  of  which  he  is  afraid,  — 
swerving  towards  the  opposite  side,  wliilst  looking 
at  the  object  of  fear;  —  holding  back  or  slacken- 
ing  the    pace,  —   making   movements    of   snrprise 

—  attempts  to  stop,  —  or  raising  high  the  head 
and  neck,  —  and  also  rearing.  This  last  means 
that  the  object  of  fear  is  advancing  towards  him 
or  the  horse  towards  it.  If  he  rears  he  tnrns 
back  by  swinging  ronnd  on  the  cronp  whilst  rear- 
ing, which  means  that  he  was  unable  to  turn 
back  in  a  low  and  therefore  to  him  more  (conve- 
nient position.  Looking  backward,  throwing  tlie 
ears  back  to  listen  behind,  kicking  and  running 
away  mean  that  the  object  of  fear  is  behind 
him.  Pressing  in  the  tail,  raising  it  high,  snor- 
ting, turbidity  in  the  eyes,  and  the  voiding  of 
excrement  are  signs  of  great  fear.  Whilst  riding 
besides  seeing  the  fear  by  the  signs,  it  may  be 
felt  by  the  rider  who  can  feel  the  heart  beating 
quickly  under  his  seat  and  tlie  attempts  made  to 
slacken  the  pace  by  the  spine. 


FEAR  227 


Effects  or  reactions  caused  hy  fear. 

The  greater  part  of  the  acts  of  disobedience, 
oppositions  and  reactions  in  the  horse,  and  the 
accidents  which  happen  to  him  are  the  effect  of 
fear.  The  instinct  of  fear  makes  the  horse  feel  the 
necessity  of  getting  away  from  the  object  which 
gives  him  fear,  and  he  does  so  by  swerving  on  one 
side,  turning  back,  and  fleeing  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. He  prepares  himself  for  swerving  by  bending 
the  head  and  neck  towards  the  object  Avhicli  excites 
his  fear,  looking  at  it,  and  thus  prepares  the  cen- 
tre of  gravity  of  his  body  on  the  side  opposite  to 
the  object  and  executes  the  action  of  SAverving  by 
making  a  lateral  movement  with  the  hind  legs. 
If  he  is  unable  to  flee,  fear  may  excite  him  to  react 
against  man,  animals,  and  other  objects.  He  kicks 
against  objects  which  touch  him  and  produce  fear 
until  he  removes  them  or  hurts  himself,  and  can- 
not kick  any  longer.  These  actions  caused  by  fear 
may  be  called  reactions  of  fear. 


228  FEAR 

Fear  renders  the  liorse  dangerous.  Great  fear 
bewilders  his  mind,  and  dominates  it,  so  as  to  pre- 
vent him  from  feeling  aids  and  punishments.  He 
does  not  see  nor  look  at  anything  but  the  object 
of  fear  from  which  he  tlees,  and  very  often  in  or- 
der to  avoid  an  imaginary  danger  created  by  fear, 
he  will  dash  over  a  precipice.  He  will  go  over 
a  precipice  backwards  from  fear  of  an  object  ad- 
vancing towards  him,  or  also  for  fear  of  punish- 
ments inflicted  on  him  in  front.  When  frightened 
by  a  noise  he  does  not  know  where  he  is  going, 
but  he  runs.  There  are  horses  which  from  fear  of 
things  thrown  and  animals  which  they  see  moving 
and  running  suddenly  give  way  in  the  forelegs  so 
as  to  almost  fall.  Many  when  they  have  fallen 
become  so  discouraged  that  they  do  not  get  up  vo- 
luntarily, and  must  be  excited  to  get  up. 

Fear  makes  them  go  through  extraordinary 
motions,  and  jump  over  unusual  obstacles,  thus 
making  many  horses  appear  more  willing  to  go  and 
of  a  better  breed  than  thev  are.  Dealers  fris^hten 
their  horses  in  order  to  give  them  a  fine  and  wil- 
ling appearance  in  their  gaits. 


FEAR  229 


In  which  horses  fear  is  most  dcmgerous. 

In  those  with  excessive  timidity  and  nervous- 
ness.  These  are  extremely  dangerous,  because  there 
is  no  means  of  tranquillising  and  mastering  them. 
With  one  of  these  horses  the  best  that  can  be 
done  is  to  get  off  and  lead  him  by  hand  or 
better  still  never  to  ride  them.  The  man  on  foot 
can  hold  him,  and  even  the  horse  quiets  down 
much  better  with  a  man  on  foot  at  his  side.  In 
the  light  and  strong  horse  the  actions  of  revolt 
due  to  fear  are  more  dangerous,  because  the  hor- 
se being  agile  needs  little  preparation  to  make 
them,  and  they  are  powerful  and  almost  sudden. 
Oi'dinary  horses  if  they  take  fright  are  less  suscep- 
tible of  being  tranquillised  and  persuaded,  and  are 
much  more  dangerous  than  thorough  bred  horses. 

Fear  is  an  evil  tohich  has  its  useful  side. 

If  the  horse  were  not  afraid  of  the  objects  and 
dangers,  he  would  not  avoid  them,  and  would  be 


230  PEAR 

injured  by  them,  and  if  lie  were  not  afraid  of  pu- 
nishments it  woukl  not  be  possible  to  get  the  mas- 
tery over  his  will,  and  reduce  him  to  obedience 
and  submission.  Horses  raised  at  liberty  are  afraid 
of  ditches  and  holes,  and  do  not  fall  into  them, 
because  they  have  already  had  experience  of  them, 
have  already  put  their  feet  in  them,  hare  already 
hurt  themselves  or  fallen,  and  are  on  their  guard 
against  them.  This  fear  is  an  evil  which  tends  to 
make  them  avoid  greater  evils.  The  horse  which 
always  goes  along  the  road  and  becomes  accusto- 
med to  pass  over  the  dark  patches  formed  l)y  pud- 
dles or  wet  road,  and  has  never  met  with  an  acci- 
dent, will,  if  the  coachman  guides  him  to  it,  go 
into  a  hole  which  to  him  has  the  appearance  of 
wet  ground,  and  of  his  own  accord  will  not  think 
of  avoiding  it.  In  this  case  his  not  being  afraid 
is  no  advantage,  and  it  would  be  better  if  he  were. 

Causes  of  fear. 

The  fear  of  the  horse  is  caused :  —  by  a  real 
evil  which  has  happened  to  him  in   the   presence 


FEAR  231 

of  an  object  to  which  he  attributes  it;  —  by  a 
threat  of  harm,  of  danger  from  some  large  object 
which  is  advancing  towards  him;  —  by  his  sin- 
king into  the  ground,  by  his  slipping  on  the  ice, 
and  thus  becoming  afraid  eyen  to  move.  It  may 
be  and  is  often  caused  by  a  small  harmless  object 
such  as  a  leaf  or  weed  bending  in  the  wind.  All 
the  objects  whicli  he  has  never  seen  may  call  forth 
in  him  tlie  idea  of  fear. 

Defective  evesight  is  very  often  the  cause  of 
ihe  fear  of  objects.  It  seems  tluit  liorses  having 
a  perfectly  good  sight  are  few.  1  remember  a  hor- 
se which  if  any  object  whatever  Avere  placed  on 
tlie  ground,  and  he  were  led  along  close  to  it, 
was  always  afraid  of  it  the  first  time,  luit  not  the 
second.  On  changing  the  ])lace  of  the  same  object, 
and  putting  it  twenty  yards  furtlier  away,  the  lirst 
time  he  passed  it  he  was  always  afraid  of  it  again. 
Tliis  means  that  his  eye  was  unable  to  recognise 
the  same  object,  and  that  on  the  second  time  of 
his  seeing  it  in  the  new  place  where  it  had  been 
put,  he  was  not  afraid  of  it  because  he  had  seen 
it  once  before  and  remembered  having  seen  it  there. 


232  FEAR 

Often  fright  is  produced  by  excessive  nervousness 
which  makes  him  afraid  of  every  thing  and  espe- 
cially of  moving  things.  Excessive  nervousness 
may  originate  in  defective  eyesight  and  one  may 
be  mistaken  for  the  other.  His  being  kept  still  by 
actual  force  near  an  object  Avhich  inspires  him 
with  fear  much  increases  the  fear  he  experiences 
of  it. 

Peculiarly  great  fear  of  an  object  is  usually  a 
sign  that  he  was  ill-treated  when  afraid  of  the 
object,  and  was  left  in  a  state  of  fear  and  revolt, 
a  thing  which  should  never  be  done.  He  may  take 
fright  at  any  object  of  avhich  he  was  not  afraid 
if  it  was  associated  v/ith  the  act  of  striking  him 
with  the  object  itself,  or  in  the  presence  of  ihe 
object.  He  fears  the  whip  because  with  it  he  lias 
been  threatened  or  beaten.  He  fears  the  man  who 
has  beaten  him  because  he  remembers  having  been 
beaten  by  him.  Eor  this  reason  he  may  be  taught 
to  be  afraid  of  any  desired  object  by  merely  stri- 
king him  in  the  presence  of  that  object. 


J 


FEAR  233 


Circumstances  which  diminish  the  horse's  fear. 

In  the  company  of  a  man  in  whom  he  has 
confidence,  and  to  whom  he  is  obedient,  he  is 
mnch  less  liable  to  experience  fear,  and  is  more 
easily  tranqnillised,  becanse  he  believes  that  in 
his  compan}^  no  harm  will  ever  happen  to  him, 
having  already  experienced  during  some  time  that 
in  his  company  no  harm  was  done  to  him  or  has 
happened  to  him. 

The  varions  circumstances  and  ways  in  which 
objects  are  presented  cause  a  lesser  or  greater  de- 
gree of  fear.  He  is  less  afraid  of  a  motionless 
object  than  of  one  in  motion,  —  less  afraid  when 
standing  still  than  when  in  motion,  —  in  a  place 
familiar  to  him  than  in  a  place  where  he  has  ne- 
ver been,  —  when  he  is  tired  than  when  he  is 
rested  or  when  he  is  in  excessive  spirits,  —  of  a 
faint  distant  noise  than  of  a  powerful  noise  near 
at  hand,  —  after  he  has  been  guided  round  and 
about  a  great  deal,  and  has  seen  many  and  various 
objects  than  when  he  has   seen  few  only.  Usually 


234  FEAR 

the  males  have  less  fear  than   the   females.    Some 
aie  less  afraid  with  blinkers,  others  without. 

Circumstances  which  increase  his  fear. 

When  he  is  well-fed  and  rested  he  is  more 
liable  to  fear  because  he  is  then  more  excitable; 
—  when  he  is  not  accustomed  to  seeing  objects 
and  they  are .  new  to  him,  —  and  when  he  is  ill- 
treated  in  the  presence  of  them.  When  he  is  ill- 
treated  by  man  he  is  always  in  a  state  of  alarm 
and  suspicion  of  eTerything,  and  is  afraid  of  eve- 
rything. If  a  punishment  was  associated  witli  the 
object  which  caused  him  fear,  the  fear  greatly  in- 
creases and  the  horse  gi-ows  more  and  more  appre- 
hensive, and  after  the  punishment  has  been  repea- 
ted several  times  because  lie  was  afraid  of  that 
object,  he  will  no  longer  pass  any  other  object  of 
which  he  is  afraid.  Punishment  increases  fear  be- 
cause in  itself  it  inspires  dislike  and  fear.  The 
horse  Avho  has  been  punished  because  he  was  afraid 
of  an  object  is  so  much  the  more  afraid  when  he 
sees  it  again,  and  regards  it  as  the    cause    of  the 


PEAB  235 

pnnisliiiient  suffered.  He  will  be  more  ready  to  turn 
back  and  will  forestall  the  rider  next  time  he  sees 
the  object  of  fear. 

He  has  greater  fear  of  an  object  that  moves, 
—  which  is  moved  by  the  wind,  —  of  an  animal 
running,  —  on  liearing  noise  and  not  seeing  the 
cause  of  it,  —  of  an  approaching  and  increasing 
noise,  —  in  the  place  where  he  has  never  been 
and  whicli  he  does  not  know,  —  wlien  he  is  in  a 
dark  stal)le  and  in  an  isolated  place  and  is  not 
accustomed  to  seeing  many  things.  The  object 
wliicli  causes  him  fear  if  coming  to  meet  him  ma- 
kes him  more  afraid  tlian  if*  he  sees  it  sideways. 
For  this  reason  it  is  best  to  bend  liis  head  sideways 
and  make  him  see  the  object  of  fear  from  one 
side,  because  on  seeing  it  sideways  he  swerves  and 
turns  aside,  whilst  on  seeing  that  it  is  coming  to- 
v»'ards  him  he  turns  back  and  this  is  worse. 

Whilst  he  is  in  motion  he  is  more  afraid  and 
grows  more  excited  than  whilst  he  is  standing  still. 
At  the  trot  he  is  more  afraid  than  at  a  walk,  and 
at  the  gallop  more  than  at  the  trot.  For  this  reason 
when  he  is  afi-aid  and  is  excited  by  it  to  run,  he 


236  FEAR 

should  not  be  allowed  to  run  because  lie  would 
grow  still  more  afraid  and  would  acquire  the  bad 
habit  of  starting  off  running  at  every  noise  or 
object  which  inspires  him  with  fear. 

He  is  more  afraid  alone  than  in  company.  If 
when  afraid  he  is  alone  and  does  not  hear  the 
voice  of  the  man  to  which  he  is  accustomed,  he 
becomes  still  more  terrified  and  takes  still  more 
headlong  flight.  A  near  object  causes  much  more 
fear  than  a  distant  one.  Therefore  to  accustom  him 
not  to  be  afraid  of  an  object  we  should  first  make 
him  pass  it  at  a  distance  and  then  by  degrees 
make  him  pass  closer,  A  loud  noise  causes  mucli 
more  fear  than  a  slight  noise.  Therefore  we  should 
make  him  hear  it  at  first  at  a  distance  and  then 
nearer  by  degrees. 

Eear  always  becomes  greater  on  the  recurrence 
of  the  occasion,  on  its  being  caused  by  the  same 
object.  The  more  often  he  has  occasion  to  be 
afraid,  the  more  the  susceptibility  of  the  horse 
increases  to  take  fright  at  every  other  object  and 
imagine  fresh  fears.  The  more  the  being  afraid  is 
repeated,  the  stronger    the    fear    becomes    and    the 


FEAR  237 

more  difficult  it  is  to  persuade  the  horse  not  to 
be  afraid.  If  on  meeting  an  object  which  causes 
him  fear  he  was  able  to  turn  back,  it  becomes 
more  difficult  to  prevent  him  doing  so  another 
time,  because  with  his  being  able  to  turn  back 
from  fear  of  the  object,  the  horse  has  associated 
the  idea  of  having  been  able  to  turn  back  and  of 
desiring  to  do  so,  and  if  it  is  allowed  to  be  re- 
peated, he  acquires  the  habit  of  doing  so.  Care 
must  therefore  be  taken  that  he  should  not  be  able 
to  turn  back  whilst  he  is  afraid.  He  should  not  be 
allowed  to  remain  afraid  for  any  time,  but  we 
must  try  to  remove  his  fear  immediately  as  it  is 
easier  to  remove  it  at  once.  After  some  time  is  past 
the  fear  has  taken  root  in  his  memory. 

Various  Mnds  and  degrees  of  fear. 

Althoujjh  the  feelincr  of  fear  is  always  the  same, 
it  may  be  said  that  there  are  diifercnt  kinds 
of  fear  according  to  the  peculiar  nature  of  the 
objects  which  produce  fear  and  their  liability  to 
j)roduce  a  lesser  or  greater  impression  on  the  ima- 


238  FEAB 

gination  of  the  horse.  The  degree  of  intensity  of 
the  impression  depends  on  the  greater  or  lesser 
susceptibility  of  his  mental  nature.  In  general  his 
excitability,  his  all  magnifying  imagination  and 
his  timidity  which  makes  him  nervous  at  every- 
thing, inspire  him  with  fear  of  all  objects  whatso- 
ever. He  is  afraid  of  every  object  new  to  him 
which  he  has  never  seen,  of  the  places  where  he 
has  never  been,  of  stones  on  the  ground,  white, 
black  or  red,  of  water  puddles,  sheets  or  coverlets 
stretched  on  ropes  in  the  air  or  on  the  ground,  of 
sacks,  of  leaves  falling  from  the  trees,  of  paper 
rolled  bv  the  wind,  of  reeds  or  shrubs  bent  and 
swayed  by  the  wind,  of  smoke,  of  fire,  of  light- 
ning, of  falling  water  &c.,  &c.  He  is  afraid  of 
objects  that  he  sees  suddenly  whether  they  really 
appear  abruptly,  or  whether  he  sees  them  suddenly 
on  turning  his  head  to  one  side. 

He  is  afraid  if  we  run  up  to  him,  if  we  stretch 
our  arm  quickly,  instead  of  going  up  to  him  slowly 
and  raising  the  arm  gradually;  if  he  sees  anyone 
run  or  throw  objects;  if  he  sees  a  cask  or  barrel 
rolling;  if  he  hears   the   noise    of  firing,    thunder 


PEAR  239 

&c. ;  if  he  sees  lightning  or  fire.  He  is  afraid  of 
bad  odours,  of  discharged  powder,  of  decomposed 
bodies,  of  the  skins  of  wild  beasts,  of  bituminous 
substances,  of  being  touched  suddenly,  and  of  the 
dogs  and  other  animals  that  run  near  him  and 
between  his  legs. 

Feeling  himself  drawn  by  force  towards  an 
object  of  fear  before  he  has  been  persuaded  to  ap- 
proach it  little  by  little,  makes  him  extremely 
frightened  and  he  draws  back.  Feeling  himself 
compelled  by  physical  force  to  stand  by  the  object 
of  fear,  inspires  him  with  peculiar  terror  and  he 
revolts  and  seeks  to  free  himself  until  he  has  either 
succeeded  or  has  done  himself  such  harm  as  to  be 
unable  to  resist  further.  Usually  harnessed  horses 
on  falling  and  remaining  entangled  in  the  harness 
or  Avitli  the  carriage,  either  become  violent  and 
break  everything  or  lose  all  spirit  and  let  them- 
selves lie  as  though  dead. 

In  the  stable  the  horse  should  be  tethered  in 
such  a  way  that  he  should  not  be  able  to  get 
entangled  with  the  rope  of  the  halter  if  it  is  atta- 
ched to  a  fixed  hook  so  that  he  mav  not  be  seized 


240  FEAR 

with  fear  and  hurt  himself  iu  the  attempt  to  get 
free.  If  a  horse  harnessed  to  a  cart  in  driving 
away  the  flies  happens  to  get  his  bridle  entangled 
in  a  hook  on  the  shafts,  he  has  a  bad  fall  and 
becomes  extremely  afraid.  Running  into  ditches, 
breaking  the  shafts  of  the  vehicle  to  which  he  was 
harnessed  and  being  left  alone  by  man,  leave  a 
powerful  impression,  and  with  some  it  is  difficult 
to  cause  them  to  forget  it.  Being  accustomed  to 
feel  the  man  always  with  him,  his  being  alone 
and  abandoned  and  unable  to  hear  the  voice  of 
the  man  any  longer  gi'ves  him  great  fear. 


We  must  seelc  to  dispel  Ms  fear. 

The  horse  is  by   nature    suspicious    and    appre 
hensive  and  it  is  natural  for  him  to  be  afraid.  It 
is  our  dutv  to   seek   to    overcome    this.    It   is   the 

t.' 

chief  part  of  his  instruction  to  teach  him  so  far 
as  possible  not  to  be  afraid  or  to  be  afraid  as  little 
as  possible  and  to  remove  the  fear  of  objects  of 
which  he  has  become  afraid. 


FEAR  241 


How  fear  may  he  removed. 

It  is  the  idea  of  many  that  fear  should  be  pu- 
nished. By  so  doing  the  fear  is  increased  instead 
of  being  overcome  and  the  horse  becomes  ever 
more  afraid.  His  fear  cannot  be  removed  by  inflic- 
ting punishment  because  the  punishment  inflicted 
in  presence  of  the  object  which  has  given  rise  in 
him  to  the  feeling  of  fear,  owing  to  his  mode  of 
judgment  as  stated  in  the  chapter  «  How  the  horse 
learns  » ,  is  an  association  of  pain  coupled  with 
the  object  of  fear  and  he  believes  it  to  be  caused 
by  this  object  of  fear.  Therefore  when  he  again 
views  this  object  he  expects  that  he  will  be  pu- 
nished anew.  Thus  by  inflicting  punishments  on 
him  his  fear  has  been  increased  and  he  has  been 
given  a  "second  fear,  that  of  punishments  because 
punishments  in  themselves  inspire  fear  and  dislike. 

The  fear  may  be  removed  only  l)y  persuading 
him  that  the  object  of  which  he  is  afraid  does 
not  do  him  any  harm.  This  ijersua.sion  can  only 
come  to  the  horse  from  seeing  that  whilst  he  has 


16 


^42  FEAR 

any  fear  of  an  object,  no  punishment  is  ^iven  him 
and  no  harm  happens  to  him,  but  on  tlie  contrary 
he  receives  caresses  and  good  treatment.  The  re- 
medy for  fear  therefore,  in  addition  to  not  puni- 
shing him,  is  every  kind  of  good  treatment,  of 
pleasing  things,  and  of  those  things  which  are 
calculated  to  re-assure  the  mind  and  to  inspire 
courage,  and  to  make  him  think  that  he  is  not  in 
danger.  This  good  treatment  and  these  things  sui- 
ted to  re~assure  the  mind,  may  be  called  for  con- 
vfeiiience  vnedns  of  persuasion. 

Means  of  'persuasion. 

The  following  serve  for  persuading  the  horse 
not  to  be  afraid,  being  means  of  re-assuring  the 
mind,  or  means  of  persuasion:  —  not  giving  him 
threats  or  punishments;  —  the  presence  or  com- 
panionship of  the  man  who  has  acquired  his  con- 
fidence and  who  has  inspired  him  with  the  habit 
of  obedience;  —  the  act  of  speaking  to  him 
soothingly,  —  caressing  him,  —  treating  him  well 
—  leaving  him  quiet,  —  not  exciting  him  in  any 


FEAR  243 

way,  —  a^oinLi:  near  liiui  niowh'  and  patiently;  — 
not  making  rapid  and  sudden  movements  (an  arm 
raised  abruptly  is  sufficient  to  alarm  him  whilst 
he  is  in  a  state  of  fear);  —  the  fact  of  the  man 
who  has  his  confidence  placing  himself  between 
him  and  the  object  of  fear,  or  this  man  walking 
in  front  of  the  horse;  —  the  placing  of  another 
horse  between  the  horse  which  is  afraid  and  the 
object  of  fear,  or  making  the  other  horse  walk  in 
front. 

Finding  himself  always  caressed  and  seeing 
that  no  harm  comes  to  him  on  seeing  the  objects 
which  arouse  fear  in  him,  after  a  time  his  fear 
diminishes  greatly,  and  even  if  the  idea  of  fear 
arises  in  him,  he  allows  himself  to  be  re-assured 
by  the  means  of  permmsion.  Blinkers  are  not  means 
of  removing  fear.  They  prevent  his  being  afraid 
of  those  things  of  which  they  obstruct  the  view, 
and  are  not  suited  to  remove  fear.  Very  often  his 
being  unable  to  see  increases  his  fear,  but  mostly 
it  prevents  him  from  being  afraid. 


244:  FEAR 


On   what  conditions  fear  maj/  he  removed 
hy  the  means  of  persuasion. 

The  application  of  the  principles  here  exposed 
requires  a  j>reTious  study  of  instructing  the  horse 
with  the  lounges.  Eear  may  be  removed  by  the 
means  of  persuasion  on  the    following    conditions : 

1.  That  during  the  time  that  the  horse  is  under 
the  impression  of  fear,  he  shall  receive  no  punish- 
ment and  shall  suffer  no  harm  or  real  injury  in 
any  other  way.  —  It  is  not  possible  nor  right  to 
reqnire  that  he  should  not  be  afraid  of  the  thing 
which  does  him  real  harm  if  he  feels  it.  (He  may 
be  hit  by  the  harness,  and,  being  excited,  not  feel 
it).  Real  harm  may  be  caused  him  by  some  object 
falling  on  him,  or  the  same  object  or  animal  run- 
ning against  him,  striking  him  or  throwing  him 
down ;  it  may  occur  from  the  subsidence  of  the 
ground,  from  falling  in  a  ditch,  from  the  carriage 
to  which  he  was  harnessed  breaking  down,  or  be- 
cause the  tracings  break,  &c,  Xot  only  must  no 
punishment  be  given  whilst  he  is   under   the   im- 


FEAR  245 

pression  of  fear  nor  any  association  of  real  harm, 
but  not  even  sensations  of  unpleasant  things  must 
be  caused  and  it  must  not  be  desired  to  keep  him 
absolutely  still  by  physical  force  as  this  alone  gives 
him  great  fear. 

2.  That  the  man  who  undertakes  to  persuade 
him  not  to  be  afraid  should  have  acquired  his 
conlidence  and  be  trusted  by  him  owing  to  pre- 
vious ii'ood  treatment.  —  The  horse  must  have 
acquired  the  belief  that  in  the  company  of  this 
man  no  harm  Avill  liappen  to  him.  A  man  strange 
to  the  horse  and  \\  liom  lie  does  not  know  will 
uot.be  able  to  persuade  liim  not  to  be  afraid, 
much  less  the  man  who  has  ill-treated  him,  as  he 
himself  is  an  object  of  fear  to  the  horse  and  ma- 
kes him  afraid  by  his  mere  presence. 

3.  That  the  man  should  have  taught  him  to 
obey.  Obedience  produces  respect  and  respect  gives 
influence  to  persuasion. 

4  That  the  man  should  be  on  foot  and  should 
hold  the  horse  with  cavesson  and  lounge,  and 
slvould  be  accompanied  by  two  men  holding  side 
lounges  attached  to  the  cavesson  because  the  horse 


246  FEAR 

allows  himself  to  be  re-assured  much  more  readily 
by  men  on  foot  next  him  than  by  the  rider  on 
his  back.  The  cavesson  produces  a  powerful  im- 
pression without  exciting  fear  or  resistance,  and 
on  foot  it  is  possible  to  produce  this  impression, 
to  hold  him  and  to  prevent  him  bolting,  Avhich 
things  would  not  be  possible  on  horseback. 

5.  That  the  man  should  be  capable  and  should 
show  patience  and  indulgence. 

Without  these  conditions  little  can  be  done  to 
persuade  the  horse  not  to  be  afraid  even  by  an 
able  man.  As  it  is  requisite  to  give  the  horse  con- 
fidence and  make  him  obedient  before  undertaking 
to  teach  him  not  to  be  afraid,  and  tliese  two 
things  cannot  be  obtained  in  a  day,  time  is  requi- 
red to  persuade  him  not  to  be  afraid.  This  time 
^^ill  be  longer  or  shorter  in  accordance  with  the 
nature  of  the  horse  and  the  ability  of  the  man. 

Mode  of  teacJiinc/  the  horse  not  to  he  afraid 
of  a  given  object. 

Before  undertaking  to  teach  the  horse  not  to 
be  afraid  of  the  objects  of  which  he  may  be  afraid. 


PEAR  247 

we  must  place  ourselves  and  the  Uorse  under  tlie 
above  stated  conditions,  and  chietly  must  have 
obtained  his  confidence  and  inspired  him  with  the 
feeling  of  obedience.  The  means  of  persuasion  must 
be  used  with  discernment  and  patience  in  a  closed 
place  where  no  accidental  harm  may  befall  him 
and  where  he  is  not  liable  to  have  distractions. 
In  this  place  he  must  be  taught  not  to  be  afraid 
of  the  greatest  possible  nuuiber  of  objects,  one  by 
one,  because  this  serves  to  diminish  his  suscepti- 
bility to  fear.  It  is  requisite  to  proceed  gradually 
and  begin  with  objects  which  can  inspire  little 
fear,  passing  on  to  others  of  which  he  will  be  imnv 
afraid. 

The  way  of  doing  is  to  lead  hini  on  foot  hol- 
ding him  by  the  lounge  and  cavesson,  and  with 
two  men  holding  two  side  lounges  buckled  to  the 
two  side-rings  of  the  cavpssuu,  Thus  he  njust  be 
led  to  see  and  pass  near  the  object  of  which  he 
is  afraid  placed  on  the  ground  or  suspended  in  the 
air,  always  talking  to  him  soothingly  and  caressing 
him,  and  never  inflicting  punishment  in  order  to 
show  him  that  the  object  which  inspires  hipi  with 


248  FEAR 

fear  does  him  no  harm.  He  should  never  be  com- 
pelled to  approach  the  object  by  physical  force, 
but  should  be  induced  to  approach  it  gradually 
following  us  and  by  persuasion. 

The  most  suitable  place  for  doing  this  in  the 
beginning  is  the  riding  school,  because  as  he  re- 
ceives lessons  there  everv  day  it  is  familiar  to  him, 
he  knows  it  well,  and  it  is  like  his  house,  and  in 
it  he  will  be  much  less  afraid  than  in  another 
place. 

The  most  suitable  time  is  immediately  after 
his  lesson,  because  then  he  is  quieter,  and  also 
because  directly  after  leaving  the  stable  the  eye 
is  more  susceptible  to  fear  because  the  stable  is 
usually  not  brightly  lit.  This  may  afterwards  be 
carried  out  in  an  enclosure  or  in  a  field,  where 
however  there  must  be  no  disturbance,  and  finally 
he  must  be  led  about  the  streets. 

In  leading  the  horse  around  in  order  to  let  him 
see  the  object  which  it  is  desired  to  accustom  him 
not  to  be  afraid  of,  he  must  be  conducted  at  a 
slow  pace,  because  a  rapid  pace  excites  him;  at 
the  same  time  he  must  be  spoken  to  conciliating- 


J 


FEAR  249 

ly  aud  caressed,  and  a  direction  taken  so  as  to 
pass  on  one  side  of  the  object  and  not  to  go  straight 
towards  the  object  of  fear,  which  would  make 
him  think  that  we  wish  to  make  him  pass  over 
it  and  would  arouse  extreme  fear  in  liim.  We 
must  also  stand  between  him  and  the  object  of  fear 
in  order  to  give  him  the  idea  of  defending  and 
protecting  liim.  Quietness  in  walking  is  necessary 
and  has  influence  in  tranquillising  the  mind. 

When  the  horse  walks  quickly  or  runs  he  is 
more  liable  to  excitement  and  to  acquire  gi*eater 
fear.  He  must  be  ha])ituated  to  pass  at  the  trot 
close  by  the  object  of  fear  only  after  he  has  be- 
come indifVcrent  to  passing  close  by  it  at  a  walk, 
and  if  by  chance  he  should  give  signs  of  excite- 
ment he  must  once  more  be  made  to  pass  it  at  a 
walk,  but  this  should  not  happen,  and  means  that 
the  gradation  used  was  not  sufficient. 

If  before  approaching  the  object  he  gives  a 
sign  of  fear  and  desires  to  stop  he  should  be  al- 
lowed to  stop,  and  caressed,  and  should  be  allowed 
to  stand  still  for  some  time  and  look  at  the  object 
so  that    his    impression    of  fear    may    pass    away. 


250  PEAR 

After  some  time  we  may  make  as  if  advancing  in 
front  of  him  in  order  to  see  Avliether  he  will  approach 
the  object.  If  he  will  not  approach  it,  it  should 
not  be  attempted  to  compel  him  to  go  forward  by 
physical  force  because  this  in  itself  gives  him 
great  fear  and  increases  his  fear  of  the  object.  On 
the  contrar}^  a  detour  should  be  made  and  he 
should  be  conducted  far  from  the  object,  we  walk- 
ing in  front  and  on  his  side  towards  the   object. 

If  he  desires  to  draw  back  and  run  away  the 
two  men  who  hold  him  with  the  side  lounges  must 
oppose  intermittent  resistance  putting  the  weight 
of  their  body  on  the  lounges  so  as  not  to  allow 
him  to  draw  back  much.  Were  they  to  oppose 
with  continual  resistance  they  would  be  dragged 
away  as  the  horse  has  strength  and  men  have 
little.  Each  day  on  our  repeating  the  process  of 
guiding  him  to  the  object  of  fear  he  will  approach 
nearer  to  it,  will  pass  it  more  closely  and  will  end 
probably  by  not  being  afraid  of  it. 

Just  as  all  the  things  which  it  is  desired  to 
bring  the  horse  to  perform  must  be  done  little  by 
little  with  the  most  careful  gradation,  so  it  is  with 


FEAR  251 

tliis  matter  of  getting  him  to  pass  near  an  object 
of  fear,  which  is  a  greater  requirement  than  the 
others. 

Whether  we  rid  him  of  fear  will  depend  upon 
our  adopting  a  right  way  of  procedure,  but  largely 
also  upon  our  properly  graduated  steps.  If  his  fear 
of  the  object  is  great  it  is  necessary  to  begin  to 
pass  it  and  let  him  see  it  from  a  great  distance 
and  approach  it  by  such  gradual  steps  as  to  ayoid 
arousing  fear  in  him.  Tf  it  is  desired  to  proceed 
more  rapidly  and  less  gradual  steps  are  employed 
than  his  susceptibility  to  fear  requires,  his  fear 
being  thus  aroused,  we  shall  liaye  lost  instead  of 
gaining,  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  return  to  stan- 
ding and  passing  at  a  greater  distance  from  the 
object  in  order  to  approach  it  again  little  by  little 

During  a  certain  time  it  is  necessary  to  walk 
in  front  of  the  horse  and  on  the  side  towards  the 
object  when  passing  close  to  it,  but  afterwards 
lie  must  be  accustomed  to  go  alone,  we  standing 
at  his  side  at  the  height  of  the  shoulder,  and  fi- 
nally the  horse  being  on  the  side  towards  the  object. 
In  order  to    persuade   him   to   go   into   the    Avater 


252  FEAR 

the  first  time  it  is  better  to  let  another  horse 
precede  him  or  for  us  to  go  ourselves  into  the  wa- 
ter first  in  front  of  him. 

The  various  forms  of  fear  are  overcome  by  our 
passing  again  and  again,  a  greater  or  lesser  num- 
ber of  times,  together  Avith  the  horse,  near  the 
object  which  causes  him  fear,  but  without  forcing 
liim  to  go  close  to  it,  letting  him  see  that  he  suf- 
fers no  harm  from  it.  When  showing  him  the  object 
which  causes  him  fear  nothing  more  should  be  done 
than  speak  to  him  soothingly  and  caress  him,  let- 
ting him  stand  at  a  distance,  not  forcing  him  to 
approach.  The  approach  must  be  eft'ected  gradually 
and  without  forcing  him,  in  proportion  as  the  fear 
diminishes. 

When  on  the  road  he  encounters  an  object 
which  causes  him  fear  the  best  mode  of  persua- 
sion, if  the  fear  be  great,  is  for  us  to  proceed  in 
front  of  him  and  place  our  person  between  the 
object  of  fear  and  him,  by  which  he  feels  liimself 
as  it  were  protected,  or  else  to  have  another  horse 
put  in  front  of  him  and  make  him  follow.  Being 
preceded  by  a  man  in  whom  they  have  confidence 


PEAR  253 

is  with  many  horses    a    more    powerful    means    of 
persuasion  than  following  another  horse. 

To  rid  him  of  the  fear  of  passing  over  white 
and  black  stones  paper  must  be  placed  on  the 
ground,  and  we,  holding  him  by  the  lounge,  must 
first  pass  over  it,  but  not  force  the  horse  to  do  so. 
He  will  pass  over  it  after  having  seen  us  do  so 
many  times.  If  it  is  sought  to  force  him  he  grows 
afraid,  and  it  is  of  no  use  if  he  passes  over  it  by 
force,  on  the  contrary  it  leaves  him  a  bad  impres- 
sion of  violence  and  fear.  The  same  must  be  done 
to  make  him  pass  near  or  over  pools  or  other 
conspicuous  spots  or  parts  of  the  ground,  and  eve- 
rything which  may  cause  him  fear.  But  we  should 
keep  towards  these  things  and  in  front  of  the  horse 
and  pass  over  them  in  front  of  him  and  first. 

It  is  further  necessary  to  accustom  him  to  being 
touched  by  the  whip  aud  other  objects  in  all  parts 
of  the  body  and  to  liaving  the  lounge,  reins  and 
saddle  fall  on  the  ground  without  taking  fright. 
In  order  to  accustom  him  to  the  harness  and 
trappings  he  must  be  made  to  move  at  a  walk, 
led  by  the  lounges  and  afterwards  by  gradual  steps 


254  FEAR 

at  a  trot  in  a  circle  until  he  has  become  indiffe- 
rent to  them.  By  repetitions  and  gradation  the 
feelings  of  fear  due  to  his  being  touched  diminish 
and  disappear.  Teaching  him  not  to  be  afraid  of 
objects  and  to  be  touched  in  all  parts  of  the  body 
should  be  proceeded  with  after  he  goes  well  at 
the  lounge. 

Great  care  must  be  taken  that  on  the  first  oc- 
casions of  his  being  afraid  of  any  object  no  harm 
should  happen  to  him  owing  to  any  cause  foreign 
to  us.  Tlie  horse  would  associate  it  with  the  object 
and  would  be  much  more  afraid  of  it,  and  it  would 
be  much  more  difficult  to  remove  the  fear.  He 
must  not  be  allowed  to  go  under  water  the  first 
time  he  is  made  to  go  into  the  water  to  teach  him 
to  swim.  It  will  not  be  possible  to  persuade  hin 
to  go  into  the  water  a  second  time.  In  cases  of 
gi'eat  fear  the  company  of  other  horses  should  be 
used  as  a  more  effective  means  of  persuasion. 

In  past  times  particular  care  was  taken  to  teach 
the  foal  not  to  be  afraid  during  the  year  of  his 
teaching.  In  the  company  of  a  ridden  horse  he  was 
sent  everywhere  to  see  whatever  might  cause  him 


PEAR  265 

fear,  and  to  learn  to  know  all  the  objects  in  all 
places  where  he  might  have  been  afraid.  At  that 
time  this  was  much  more  necessary  because  horses 
were  reared  at  liberty  and  were  half  wild.  Xoav 
this  is  less  necessary  because  their  rearing  is  dome- 
stic, but  the}'  still  are  afraid  of  almost  everything 
and  must  be  taught  to  know  every  kind  of  object 
and  accustomed  not  to  be  afraid,  instead  of  this 
not  being  thought  of,  as  js  generally  done.  They 
should  be  led  round  the  streets  so  as  to  get  used 
to  seeing  the  various  objects  after  they  have  been 
taught  not  to  be  afraid  on  foot  with  the  lounges 
and  cavesson  in  a  closed  place. 

Teaching  the  horse  not  to  he  afraid  of  an  object 
after  he  has  once  become  afraid. 

The  horse  has  learnt  to  be  afraid  of  an  object 
because  the  object  has  aroused  in  him  the  idea  of 
fear,  and  he  was  allowed  to  remain  in  this  appre- 
hensive frame  of  mind  instead  of  its  being  imme- 
diately dispelled  by  the  above  means  of  persuasion, 
or  still  worse,  he  has  learnt  to  be  afraid    because 


256  FEAR 

his  idea  of  fear  has  proved  true  and  been  confir- 
med by  associating  the  object  with  bad  treatment 
and  punishment.  The  way  of  removing  fear  and 
the  rules  for  doing  so  are  similar  to  those  for  teach- 
ing him  not  to  be  afraid  of  a  given  object.  With 
the  lounge  and  cavesson  on  foot,  and  with  the  aid 
of  two  skilled  men  with  two  lateral  lounges,  the 
teacher,  who  holds  the  middle  lounge  should  walk 
in  front  and  lead  him  to  the  object  of  fear  putting 
him  in  tlie  same  place  and  under  the  same  cir- 
cumstances, and  there  letting  him  see  that  he  no 
longer  receives  ill-treatment  and  punishment,  but 
on  the  other  liand  is  spoken  to  soothingly  and  ca- 
ressed, just  as  was  done  in  teacliing  him  not  to 
have  fear  of  other  objects. 

The  onlv  difference  is  that  more  calmess,  more 
patience,  more  gradual  procedure,  more  time  are 
required  in  order  to  make  him  give  up  the  fear 
associated  with  an  object  and  produced  by  bad 
treatment  inflicted  on  him  in  the  presence  of  this 
object,  because  it  lias  taken  much  deeper  root  in 
his  mind.  If  the  exact  circumstances  cannot  be 
reproduced  they  should  be  artificially  imitated    as 


FEAR  257 

well  as  possible.  If  ke  has  taken  fright  where 
there  were  several  objects  together,  we  must  be 
careful  to  understand  which  object  it  was  which 
made  him  take  fright  because  very  often  among 
many  objects  the  greatest  impression  may  be  made 
on  the  horse  by  that  which  makes  the  least  on  us. 

Teaching  the  horse  not  to  he  afraid  tchile  ridden. 

It  is  not  possible  whilst  riding  to  teach  the 
horse  not  to  be  afraid  of  objects,  but  after  having 
taught  him  not  to  be  afraid  with  the  lounges  and 
cavesson  on  foot,  the  lessons  given  on  foot  must 
be  repeated  on  horseback,  because  when  ridden 
the  horse  is  in  a  new  and  different  position  suited 
to  make  him  subject  to  fear,  namely  he  has  not 
the  man  at  his  side  to  reassure  him  completely 
and  continually.  Eor  this  reason  the  first  times 
when  mounted  he  is  made  to  pass  alongside  objects, 
the  rider  should  be  accompanied  by  a  man  on  foot 
in  whom  the  horse  has  confidence,  and  this  man 
walking  alongside  should  reassure  the  horse  and 
prevent  him  turning  back  if  necessary. 


17 


258  FEAR 

The  rider  alone  could  manage  it,  holding  him 
collected  and  in  hand,  but  this  would  not  achieve 
the  effect  and  object  of  making  the  horse  pass  it 
himself  without  the  aids  of  the  rider.  The  real 
object  of  teaching  him  not  to  be  afraid  is  that  he 
should  not  be  afraid,  not  that  he  should  be  held 
by  the  reins  and  by  the  riding  aids  and  physically 
prevented  from  swerving  or  turning  back.  The  ri- 
der will  hold  him  in  hand  and  prevent  him  swer- 
ving and  turning  back  when  alone  only  in  order 
not  to  let  him  acquire  the  idea  that  he  can  per- 
form these  acts  of  his  own  choosing.  The  man  on 
foot  in  proportion  as  the  horse  appears  to  have  less 
fear  should  walk  at  a  greater  distance  from  him 
and  cease  to  accompany  him.  The  rider  should 
give  him  alone  this  exercise  of  riding  him  to  see 
objects  which  may  give  rise  to  fear,  at  the  end  of 
his  training,  after  the  horse  has  been  taught  to  be 
united  and  held  in  hand,  in  order  to  be  able  to 
prevent  him  from  turning  back  if  necessary,  so  that 
he  should  not  see  that  he  can  turn  back. 


FEAR  259 


Punishments  given  to  tJie  horse  which 
shows  fear  while  ridden. 

'  No  punishment  should  be  given  to  the  horse 
whilst  in  a  state  of  fear,  in  order  not  to  increase 
his  fear.  When  riding  we  may,  by  way  of  excep- 
tion in  special  cases,  inflict  punishment,  not  because 
he  is  afraid,  and  not  to  punish  his  fear  (which 
should  not  be  done  because  it  would  only  increase 
it)  but  in  order  to  collect  the  horse  and  get  him 
in  hand  and  keep  him  in  hand,  so  as  to  prevent 
him  making  reactions  due  to  Iiis  fear,  swerving,  or 
turning  back,  and  thus  leading  us  into  danger,  and 
learning  an  association,  detrimental  to  us,  of  his 
having  been  able  to  turn  back,  which  would  give 
him  the  idea  of  desiring  to  do  so  and  of  doing  so 
anew  on  other  occasions.  Punishments  inflicted 
while  he  is  afraid  must  usually  be  severe,  because 
fear  overpowers  him  and  prevents  him  feeling  them 
much. 

We  must  not  wait  to  inflict  punishment   until 
the  horse  has  stopped,  but  it  must  be  given  as  soon 


260  FEAE 

as  he  shows  the  first  sign  of  being  afraid  of  an 
object  in  order  to  bring  him  in  hand  and  prevent 
him  stopping,  because  if  he  is  able  to  stop  it  will 
be  very  difficult  to  prevent  him  turning  back.  To 
prevent  him  from  swerving  or  turning  back  his 
head  and  neck  should  be  bent  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection to  the  object  of  fear  because  he  is  thus 
hindered  from  shifting  in  this  direction  the  centre 
of  gravity  of  his  body  and  preparing  to  swerve. 
Bending  him  towards  the  side  opposed  to  that  of 
the  object  of  fear  has  also  the  good  effect  of  ma- 
king it  seem  to  the  horse  that  he  is  removed  from 
the  object  of  fear,  because  he  sees  it  as  though  it 
were  on  one  side  and  behind,  and  is  less  afraid. 
If  he  is  allowed  to  bend  his  head  and  neck  to- 
wards the  object  of  fear  whilst  riding  and  aids 
and  punishments  are  apj)lied,  he  thinks  it  is  desi- 
red to  make  him  go  towards  or  upon  the  object 
of  fear,  and  is  so  much  the  more  afraid. 

It  is  understood  that  the  whip  punishment 
should  be  inflicted  on  the  side  opposed  to  the  object 
of  fear  and  on  the  flank.  Given  on  the  same  side 
as   that   occupied    by    the    object   it   would    cause 


1 


FEAR  261 

his  fear  to  increase,  and  make  him  swerve  still 
more.  Punishment  on  the  shoulder  is  of  no  use 
when  it  is  sought  to  induce  him  to  advance.  He 
must  be  punished  with  the  whip  on  the  flank  or 
under  the  belly. 

This  can  be  done  with  a  horse  who  is  afi'aid 
if  he  is  well  trained  and  if  he  yields  to  the  aids, 
and  it  must  be  done  in  single  cases  as  a  tempo- 
rary remedy  for  a  grave  evil  (swerving,  turning 
back)  but  it  is  an  evil  as  it  much  increases  the 
fear,  and  avails  a  few  times  only,  because  the 
liorse  will  remain  greatly  in  fear  of  the  object, 
and  would  alwavs  seek  to  swerve  or  turn  back. 
This  he  will  succeed  in  doing,  because  he  will  be 
intent  on  discovering  the  object  of  fear,  and  will 
see  it  before  the  rider,  and  will  have  turned  round 
before  the  rider  has  seen  it  or  has  thought  of  col- 
lecting him  and  getting  him  iuv  hand. 

The  untrained  hoi'se  cannot  be  prevented  from 
swerving  aside  by  bending  him  in  the  direction 
opposed  to  the  object  of  fear,  as  not  being  accu- 
stomed to  bend  his  body  he  feels  pain,  is  bewil- 
dered by  it  and  stops.  For  this  horse  it   is   better 


262  FEAR 

to  hold  him  on  both  reins  and  give  him  severe 
punishment  in  the  pannch  on  the  side  opposed  to 
the  object  in  order  to  get  him  to  advance. 

For  these  reasons,  and  in  order  that  the  fear 
should  not  have  time  to  take  root  in  his  mind,  it 
is  necessary  immediately  or  as  soon  as  possible  after 
he  has  experienced  fear  of  an  object  and  has  had 
to  be  punished  to  prevent  him  from  swerving,  to 
lead  him  on  foot  with  the  lounges  and  cavesson 
to  the  object,  and  teach  him  not  to  be  afraid  of 
it  in  the  manner  already  stated. 

With  a  horse  which  has  not  been  well  maste- 
red, and  cannot  be  got  in  hand,  the  best  thing  to 
do  is  to  dismount,  walk  in  front  of  him,  and  try 
to  induce  him  to  to  follow;  possibly  he  will  not 
advance  even  in  this  way,  because  he  is  accusto- 
med to  have  his  own  way.  If  punishment  were 
given  to  this  horse  in  order  to  get  him  in  hand, 
it  would  not  be  successful,  because  not  being  accu- 
stomed to  it  he  would  grow  the  more  afraid,  and 
might  be  excited  to  violent  reactions.  Great  abi- 
lity would  be  required  in  the  rider  to  surprise  the 
horse  with  severe  punishment  the  first  moment  of 


FEAR  263 

his  showing  fear,  but  even  thus,  the  risk  of  arou- 
sing resistance  would  be  great,  and  the  probability 
of  being  successful  small. 

Eor  the  purpose  of  pulling  him  forward,  the 
reins  being  unsuited,  the  horse  in  training  should 
have  beneath  the  bridle  a  light  cavesson  but  strong, 
with  two  metres  of  black  twisted  leather  cord  so 
as  not  to  show  too  much,  and  double  at  the  end 
in  order  io  receive  the  hand.  It  should  be  faste- 
ned beneath  the  throat  like  the  halter  used  by 
postilions.  This  cord  would  be  useful  when  it  is 
desired  to  walk  with  the  horse,  and  when  it  is 
necessary  to  pass  a  bridge  or  dangerous  pass  on 
foot,  and  the  horse  should  be  accustomed  to  walk 
beside  us  and  behind  us,  for  which  reason  he  should 
never  have  been  punished  by  us  from  a  position 
in  front  of  him.  When  walking  alongside  of  him, 
if  it  is  necessary  to  stimulate  him  to  advance, 
this  must  be  done  with  the  whip  in  the  left  hand 
and  behind,  so  that  the  aid  is  given  him  from 
behind.  If  we  walk  in  front  of  the  horse  the  pulls 
should  be  intermittent  and  gentle,  and  it  should 
not  be  attempted  to  draw  him  by  main  force,  as 


264  FEAB 

this  would  cause  him   great   fear    and   make   him 
pull  backwards  instead  of  coming  forward. 

If  whilst  riding  him  it  has  been  necessary  to 
make  him  go  close  to  an  object  of  fear,  holding 
him  collected  and  in  hand  by  means  of  punish- 
ment, immediately  the  object  is  passed  he  must  be 
pacified  with  conciliating  words  and  caresses  in 
order  to  remove  the  aversion  occasioned  by  the  pu- 
nishment, and  the  association  of  the  punishment 
with  the  object  of  fear.  Afterwards  he  must  be 
made  to  pass  again  and  again  quietly,  riding  him 
if  he  is  but  slightly  afraid,  and  accompanying  him 
on  foot  and  standing  between  him  and  the  object 
of  fear  if  the  fear  is  great,  passing  close  to  the 
object  which  causes  him  fear,  and  speaking  to  him 
continually  in  a  conciliating  voice,  and  caressing 
him  until  he  becomes  indifferent  to  it. 

Many  good  horses  can  be  managed  the  first 
time  they  are  afraid  even  when  ridden.  This  can- 
not be  done  with  those  who  are  very  excitable  and 
nervous.  They  would  be  excited  by  many  repeti- 
tions of  going  to  and  fro  near  the  object  of  fear. 
They  should  be  made  to  pass  it  a  few  times  a  day, 
and  with  some  interval,  not  consecutively. 


FEAR  266 

If  the  horse  is  afraid  whilst  in  hand,  he  can 
be  prevented  from  swerving  or  turning  back.  If 
he  is  afraid  whilst  out  of  hand,  but  is  very  sensi- 
tive to  the  aids  for  exciting  motion  by  applying 
these  aids  and  holding  him  he  may  be  brought  in 
hand  at  the  moment  he  is  afraid  and  prevented 
from  swerving.  If  he  is  very  much  afraid  whilst 
out  of  hand,  and  pays  little  heed  to  the  riding 
punishments,  it  is  no  use  applying  them,  as  they 
do  not  suffice  to  keep  him  in  motion,  and  may 
excite  him  to  violent  reactions.  In  this  case  it  is 
best  to  stop  him,  to  caress  liim,  and  to  talk  to  him 
soothingly,  keeping  him  standing  still,  and  seeing 
whether  liis  tear  subsides,  and  he  can  be  persua- 
ded to  pass  by  the  voice  signal  to  advance.  If  he 
cannot  be  persuaded,  the  rider  must  dismount,  walk 
in  front  of  the  liorse,  and  on  the  side  towards  the 
object  and  try  to  make  the  horse  follow.  The  way 
of  operating  with  the  hands  in  order  to  i)rcvent  tlie 
reactions  due  to  fear  on  horseback,  is  explained  in 
The  Functions  of  the  Hands  in  hiding. 

To  be  able  to  carry  out  this  prevention  of  the 
reactions  of  fear  it  is  necessary   to    have   studied: 


266  FEAR 

Low  to  feel  the  moYements  of  the  horse's  spine 
under  the  saddle ;  —  the  acting  of  the  horse' s  me- 
chanism in  order  to  recognize  from  the  movements 
of  the  spine  which  actions  the  horse  intends  to  do ; 
—  the  way  of  applying  the  several  aids  and  puni- 
shments and  at  the  right  moment;  and  to  have 
taught  the  horse  to  go  forward  promptly  when  the 
aids  and  punishments  for  exciting  motion  are  ap- 
plied. —  These  things  are  explained  in  the  Arte 
di  Cavalcare. 

Degree  of  possibility  of  allaying  fear. 

Fear  may  be  allayed  in  many  horses,  who  are 
not  nervous,  in  the  way  above  described  and  on 
the  conditions  above  stated,  among  which  confi- 
dence and  obedience  are  particularly  necessary.  It 
cannot  be  remedied  in  nervous  horses  because  they 
are  continually  overcome  by  it  and  cannot  forget  it 
notwithstanding  the  use  of  the  means  of  persuasion. 
If  it  is  seen  that  the  means  of  persuasion  are  of  no 
avail  for  removing  the  fear  of  a  horse,  it  is  better 
to  give  him  up  before  he  has  led  us  into  danger. 


FEAR  267 

There  is  great  difficulty  in  removing  the  fear 
produced  by  any  material  harm  he  has  experienced 
from  an  object,  or  from  a  serious  threat  of  danger. 
If  he  found  himself  sinking  in  soft  ground,  if  an 
object  has  actually  struck  him  by  falling  on  him 
or  running  against  him,  it  will  be  very  difficult 
to  get  him  to  forget  his  fear  of  it.  If  a  large 
barrel  were  rolled  towards  him,  he  could  not  be 
persuaded  not  to  swerve  aside  in  order  to  avoid  it. 
In  order  to  persuade  him  not  to  be  afraid  of  a 
rolling  barrel  it  must  be  rolled  alongside  him  and 
not  towards  him.  Rolling  it  against  him  would  be 
the  way  of  teaching  him  to  be  afraid  of  it. 

We  Ttmst  prevent  occurrence  of  (tccideoits 

to  tlie  foal  which  is  taught 

outside  the  riding  school  in  order  not  to  give  him 

had  associations  ins^nring  him  with  fear. 

The  foal  must  not  be  given  bad  associations  of 
fear  with  respect  to  the  actions  it  is  desired  to 
teach  him  to  perform  and  with  respect  to  the 
places  through  which  it   is  desired   to   make   him 


268  FEAE 

pass.  We  must  first  examine  the  places  through 
which  Tve  intend  to  ride  him  in  order  that  he 
should  not  find  himself  under  circumstances  which 
may  give  him  bad  associations  or  associations 
adverse  to  us,  and  render  him  frightened  and  diso- 
bedient. The  various  places  with  their  different 
appearances  and  circumstances  should  be  known 
and  taken  into  consideration  by  the  teacher  who 
desires  to  teach  the  foal  not  to  be  afraid,  and  should 
be  arranged  in  progressive  order  according  as  they 
are  more  or  less  adapted  to  excite  fear.  The  tea- 
cher should  then  begin  by  making  him  pass  gra- 
dually from  places  which  are  less  calculated  to 
make  him  take  fright  to  those  places  which  may 
give  him  gi*eater  fear. 

If  the  first  time  he  were  made  to  pass  over  a 
bridge  the  bridge  were  to  fall,  he  would  associate 
the  fall  with  the  bridge  and  would  not  pass  over 
a  bridge  a  second  time.  If  it  happened  to  him  to 
sink  down  into  soft  ground  so  as  to  hurt  his  legs 
or  remain  embedded  in  it,  he  would  become  so 
frightened  that  he  would  be  unwilling  to  advance 
wherever  he  felt  the  ground  yield  though  ever  so 


FEAR  269 

slightly.  If  in  making  him  leap  an  obstacle  his 
mouth  is  hurt  by  the  hand  or  if  he  is  made  to 
leap  over  an  obstacle  beyond  his  strength  or  his 
ability,  and  he  falls,  he  is  given  an  association  of 
evil  in  connection  with  leaping  and  acquires  fear 
and  dislike  for  leaping.  If  on  catching  sight  of  an 
obstacle  which  is  new  to  him,  of  which  he  is  afraid, 
and  which  he  does  not  venture  to  leap  he  is  puni- 
shed, his  fear  and  his  dislike  to  jumping  it  grows 
so  much  the  more,  and  he  is  rendered  so  much 
the  more  rebellious  and  caused  to  recede. 

It  is  of  course  understood  that  the  horse  who 
knows  already  how  to  jump  and  has  been  habi- 
tuated to  leaping  over  obstacles  in  the  open  coun- 
try does  not  come  under  this  head.  He  may  be 
punished  to  get  him  in  hand  and  make  him  jump, 
and  he  understands  that  he  is  punished  because  he 
will  not  jump.  He  should  always  be  given  short 
punishments,  after  which  with  conciliating  words 
and  caresses  the  aversion  produced  by  the  punish- 
ment should  be  removed,  not  onlv  with  a  view 
not  to  leave  him  in  dislike  of  us  but  also  not  to 
leave  a  bad  special  association  of  punishment  con- 


270  FEAR 

pled  in  his  mind  with  the  place  in  which  he  was 
punished,  in  order  that  on  passing  there  anew  he 
should  not  be  afraid. 

There  is  great  liabiliti/  to  error  ivith  respect 

to  the  siisceiHihility  of  horses 

to  fear  and  their  excitahility  to  motion. 

In  order  to  know  the  mental  qualities  of  a 
horse  a  certain  amount  of  time  and  many  tests 
are  required.  The  horse  dealer  puts  him  through 
tests  which  last  a  moment  only  and  even  these 
are  rendered  of  no  value  bv  his  men  who  are  cle- 
ver  and  have  already  trained  the  horse  in  their 
way.  They  all  keep  the  horse's  attention  engaged 
so  that  he  should  not  show  his  vices  and  fear,  and 
they  do  not  allow  him  to  stand  still  if,  on  his 
standing  still,  defects  could  be  perceived  in  his  legs 
which  cannot  be  seen  when  he  is  in  motion.  Ge- 
nerally the  horse  is  intent  on  everything  that 
surrounds  him  and  that  he  meets,  but  the  dealer 
witb  liis  men  causes  his  attention  to  be  distracted 
and  to  be  engaged  with  them,  and  the  horse    has 


FEAR  271 

no  time  to  observe  objects  and  be  afraid  of  them. 
Chance  may  likewise  contribute  to  deceiving  the 
purchaser.  At  times  the  horse  looks  at  a  thing  of 
which  he  is  not  afraid,  and  on  the  other  hand 
does  not  look  at  something  else  of  which  he  would 
be  afraid. 

Thus  it  may  be  thought  that  a  horse  is  not 
afraid  of  a  given  object  because  on  passing  in  its 
vicinity  he  showed  no  fear,  but  in  reality  he  was 
not  afraid  because  he  did  not  look  at  it.  On  ano- 
ther occasion  he  may  chance  to  look  at  that  par- 
ticular object  and  will  be  afraid  of  it,  and  it  will 
then  be  thought  that  he  is  afraid  of  another  object 
because,  as  he  did  not  show  fear  of  the  one  in 
question  on  the  first  occasion,  he  is  regarded  as 
being  without  fear  of  it.  At  times  horses  are  met 
with  which  always  show  signs  of  fear  and  swerve 
on  one  side  onlv  and  not  on  the  other.  It  may  be 
concluded  that  it  is  due  to  a  defect  of  vision  on 
the  one  side,  but  it  may  also  be  the  result  of  a 
habit  of  always  looking  towards  that  side.  It  may 
be  thought  that  the  eye-sight  on  the  side  wliere 
no  sign  of  fear  is  given  is  perfect,  and  yet  it  may 


272  FEAR 

not  be  so.  Of  many  things  which  are  in  view  at 
the  same  time  it  may  be  that  more  impression  is 
made  by  the  thing  which  in  our  view  would  be 
hekl  less  likely  to  cause  it,  and  the  horses  are  re- 
garded as  being  afraid  of  a  thing  which  does  not 
cause  them  fear,  but  which  in  our  opinion  should 
cause  it,  whilst  they  in  reality  are  afraid  of  some- 
thing else.  For  this  reason  mistakes  are  often  made 
as  to  the  susceptibility  of  horses  to  fear. 

The  dealer's  horse  when  handled  by  his  men 
appears  very  animated,  starts  forward  on  the  least 
sign  and  shows  fine  movements.  The  day  after 
when  handled  by  the  buyer  or  his  man,  the  same 
horse  seems  sleepy  and  sluggish,  the  buyer  being 
very  much  astonished  and  thinking  that  he  is  ill. 
He  does  not  know  that  the  dealer  has  temporarily 
enlivened  the  horse  by  administering  a  good  whip- 
ping with  a  copper-wire  tipped  whip  to  the  accom- 
paniment of  a  certain  sound  of  the  voice.  Thus  the 
horse  wliilst  he  is  with  the  horsedealer  well  remem- 
bers the  sound  of  the  voice  in  question  and  moves 
promptly  ami  rapidly,  not  waiting  for  what  he 
knows  will  follow,  but  with  the  purchaser  he  is 
not  afraid  and  does  not  move. 


PEAR  273 


In  riding  it  mvst  he  souf/hf  to  anticipate 

the  fear  of  the  horse  in  order 

to  be  in  time  to  prevent  his  reactions  of  fear. 

Even  after  having  taiighl  the  horse  not  to  be 
afraid  of  many  and  varions  objects,  and  after  ha- 
ving given  liim  the  habit  of  not  being  afraid,  he 
may  still  experience  fear  of  many  things  and 
under  many  circumstances,  although  in  a  lesser 
degree,  because  it  is  his  nature  to  be  easily  acces- 
sible to  it.  A  pig  or  a  dog  running  towards  liim 
or  between  his  legs,  an  object  suddenly  coming  to 
meet  him,  a  man  who  unexpectedly  jumps  on  to 
the  road  from  a  side  ditch,  or  any  other  accident 
mav  occur  at  anv  moment  and  cause  him  fear,  and 
this  fear  mav  excite  him  to  swerve  aside  or  turn 
backwards. 

It  should  therefore  always  be  borne  in  mind 
tliat  the  horse  mav  be  afraid  and  we  must  be  alwavs 
intent  on  booking  out  in  front  for  the  things  which 
may  be  encountered  ahead  or  which  may  be   met 


J8 


274  PEAR 

with  along  the  road  on  both  sides,  and  even  for 
those  which  may  come  from  behind,  although  of 
them  he  may  be  less  afraid.  We  should  also  atten- 
tively follow  the  horse's  motions  as  felt  from  the 
seat,  and  by  the  hand,  and  observe  the  signs  of 
fear  given  by  the  ears  and  the  head  which  during 
fear  is  bent  in  the  direction  from  which  the  horse 
believes  that  the  object  of  fear  will  approach.  When 
it  is  foreseen  that  he  may  be  afraid,  the  horse 
must  be  collected  at  once  by  hand  aids  and  aids  or 
punishments  for  exciting  him  to  go  and  his  head 
must  be  bent  in  a  direction  away  from  the  object 
of  fear,  in  order  to  make  him  see  it  sideways,  so 
that  he  may  be  less  afraid,  as  these  are  the  only 
means  we  possess  of  preventing  him  swerving  on 
one  side  or  turning  back  and  running  into  danger. 
If  we  were  to  perceive  from  a  distance  a  spe- 
cial object  coming  towards  us  on  the  road,  which 
we  thought  the  horse  might  be  very  much  afraid 
of,  so  that  it  would  not  be  possible  to  hold  him,  it 
would  be  better  to  turn  back  and  go  into  a  side 
field,  waiting  until  the  object  had  passed,  rather 
than  give  him  occasion  to  turn  back.  With  horses 


FEAR  275 

it  is  always    to   be    remembered  that,  as    in    other 
things  in  life,  prevention  is  better  than  cure. 

In  ridhif/  tJte  fact  of  the  rider  Tieepinff 

the  ho7'se' s   atte^ition  fi.ved  on  himself  assists 

in  preventing  fear. 

When  his  attention  is  engaged  with  the  rider 
tlie  presence  of  an  object  of  which  the  horse  would 
be  afraid  is  not  noticed,  and  he  is  not  seized  by 
the  idea  and  feeling  of  fear. 

Therefore  the  first  precaution  to  take  when  ri- 
ding, besides  that  of  trying  to  discover  the  things 
which  may  cause  him  fear,  is  the  rider  keeping 
his  horse  attentive  to  himself  by  some  aids  (voice, 
hand,  whip,  spurs)  applied  at  intervals  now  and 
then  to  make  the  horse  remember  that  he  has 
somebodv  on  his  back  and  is  not  alone  and  as  soon 
as  he  shows  -a  sign  of  incipient  fear,  collecting  him 
immediately,  and  endeavouring  to  remove  the  idea 
of  fear  by  conciliating  voice  and  caresses,  and  by 
preventing  him  with  the  reins  from  looking  at  the 
object  of  fear,  bending  him  in  the  other  direction, 


276  PEAE 

and  persistently  urging  him  with  aids  and  punish- 
ments for  exciting  him  to  go  so  that  he  may  not 
stop  and  get  out  of  hand,  as  then  he  may  turn  to 
one  side  or  back.  Drawing  off  his  attention  and 
keeping  him  occupied  and  engaged  with  us  is  the 
best  means  of  preventing  the  horse  from  being 
afraid,  and  even  up  to  a  certain  extent  from  making 
reactions  for  other  reasons.  Some  horse  dealers 
know  this  well,  and  are  very  skilful  in  doing  it. 
Three  or  four  of  their  men  walk  around  the  horse 
which  they  are  showing  the  buyer,  and  all  of  them 
do  something  to  him,  and  the  horse,  having  his 
attention  engaged  by  many  different  actions  and 
men,  goes  straight  forward  without  showing  fear,  | 
and  without  doing  anything.  He  is  afterwards 
afraid  when  with  the  buyer,  because  the  buyer 
does  not  do  the  same  to  him  as  the  dealer' s  men 
did. 

Pretence  of  fear. 

The  term   «  pretence  of  fear  »   is  used  when  the 
horse  passes  an  object  while  held  in  hand  without 


FEAR  277 

showing  signs  of  great  fear,  and  does  not  pass  it, 
but  turns  back  when  he  is  left  free.  I  should 
think  this  to  be  fear  in  no  very  great  degree  during 
which  he  has  been  allowed  to  turn  back,  and  there- 
fore he  always  conceives  the  idea  of  turning  back 
from  having  done  so.  It  must  be  dealt  with  just 
like  fear  itself.  We  must  look  out  beforehand  as 
far  as  possible  for  objects  which  may  give  him 
ground  for  swerving  and  turning  back  and  must 
get  the  horse  in  hand,  as  in  all  cases  of  fear,  to 
prevent  him  from  swerving  and  turning  back,  but 
he  must  afterwards  be  taught  not  to  be  afraid  in 
the  way  above  stated. 

Teaching  the  horse  not  to  he  afraid  of  railway 
trains,  fire  arms,  and  motor  cars. 

As  alreadv  stated  it  is  understood  that  this 
like  everything  else  relating  to  fear,  and  all  mat- 
ters which  it  is  desired  to  teach  him,  can  only  be 
done  after  he  has  been  rendered  confident  and 
obedient.  To  teach  the  horse  not  to  be  afraid  of 
things  which  cause  him  great  fear,    such    as   rail- 


278  FEAR 

way  trains,  gun  firing,  and  steam  motors  (which 
make  a  great  noise  and  have  rapidly  revolving 
wheels)  time  is  required  and  a  carefully  graduated 
scale  of  instruction.  The  company  of  another  horse, 
and  still  better  of  other  horses  who  are  not  afraid 
of  these  things  is  very  useful,  simplifying  and  fa- 
cilitating the  task  of  teaching  him  not  to  be  afraid 
if  possible.  Artillery  remounts  learn  quickly  and 
with  few  exceptions  by  being  always  together  with 
old  horses.  Bach  horse  must  always  be  taught  se- 
parately in  overcoming  his  fear.  By  putting  toge- 
ther several  horses  who  are  frightened,  they  com- 
municate their  fear  to  each  other,  and  consequently 
grow  more  excited  and  still  more  afraid. 

In  order  to  teach  the  horse  not  to  be  afraid 
of  things  which  cause  him  great  fear,  the  things 
already  stated  must  be  done  in  the  way  already 
explained,  but  still  more  gradually.  He  should  be 
in  the  company  of  other  horses  a  little  way  ahead 
and  nearer  to  the  object  of  fear ;  he  must  be  held 
facing  the  object  (train,  machine  &c.)  by  two  men 
(of  course  without  blinkers,  bec*iuse  in  order  to 
persuade  him  he  must  see  the  object  of  fear),  hold- 


FEAR  279 

ing  him  on  each  side  with  two  lounges  attached  to 
the  side  rings  of  the  cavesson  and  the  man,  who  is 
teaching  him  not  to  be  afraid,  should  stand  in  front 
of  him  with  another  lounge  and  close  to  him  so 
as  to  be  able  to  stroke  him  on  the  head  and  on 
the  eyes.  Thus,  the  teacher  remains  between  the 
horse  and  the  object  of  fear.  Holding  the  horse 
with  the  croup  towards  the  object  may  give  him 
less  fear,  but  it  is  not  so  well  because  he,  being  in 
a  position  favourable  to  bolting,  might  drag  the 
men  with  him,  and  he  would  have  learnt  that  he 
can  run  away,  which  would  be  very  bad. 

The  men  on  each  side  should  stand  a  yard  or 
two  away  and  slightly  in  advance  of  the  horse's 
head.  They  should  not  do  anything,  save  offer  an 
elastic  and  yielding  resistance,  if  the  horse  draws 
back  owing  to  fear,  and  the  same  must  be  done  by 
the  man  at  his  head,  in  order  to  overcome  his  fear. 

Just  as  not  doing  anything  to  him  in  presence 
of  the  object  of  fear  is  the  way  of  ridding  him  of 
his  fear,  in  the  same  way  when  the  object  of  fear 
passes  he  should  be  allowed  to  look  at  it  without 
doing    anything    to    him,    only    speaking    to    him 


380  FEAR 

soothingly,  and  stroking  him,  and  letting  him  re- 
cede slightly,  we  following,  but  preventing  him 
from  turning  back  and  running  away.  His  being 
able  to  turn  back  and  run  away  excites  him  and 
very  much  increases  his  fear,  spoiling  the  lesson 
because  he  sees  that  he  can  escape.  Great  care 
must  also  be  taken  to  use  a  strong  cavesson  and 
strong  lounges  which  cannot  break,  because  if  they 
broke  it  would  suggest  to  him  that  he  could  break 
them,  and  he  would  always  seek  to  do  so. 

The  resistance  oifered  to  his  receding  must  be 
elastic  and  yielding,  because  if  it  were  sought  to 
hold  him  standing  absolutely  still,  his  fear  would 
greatly  increase.  For  this  reason  the  horse,  in  front 
of  whom  an  object  of  which  he  is  very  much  afraid 
must  pass,  must  not  be  tied  to  trees  or  to  the  wall, 
or  to  a  fixed  point.  There  may  however,  be  some 
exceptions  to  this. 

The  men  who  assist  in  teaching  the  horse  not 
to  be  afraid  should  themselves  not  be  afraid  of 
Avhat  the  horse  may  do  in  consequence  of  his  fear. 
Therefore  to  do  this  duty,  men  are  required  accu- 
stomed to  being  with    horses    and   trained   in   the 


FEAR  281 

way  of  going  about  them.  There  is  no  danger  for 
them  since  standing  as  they  do  on  one  side  and 
slightly  in  front  towards  the  object  of  fear  they 
can  only  be  drawn  backwards  by  the  horse  when 
he  recedes,  and  there  being  three  of  them  together 
with  the  one  holding  the  middle  lounge  they  can 
prevent  him  turning  back  without  great  effort. 

If  other  horses  are  held  in  front  of  the  one 
which  it  is  desired  to  teach  not  to  be  afraid,  and 
between  him  and  the  object  of  fear,  tlie  backing 
of  the  horse  will  be  slight.  Care  must  be  taken 
not  to  do  anything  disagreeable  to  the  horse  either 
before  or  when  the  object  of  fear  passes  or  after 
it  has  passed.  After  the  object  of  fear  has  passed 
the  horse  should  be  kept  still  for  a  time  as  if  he 
were  led  away  directly  he  might  think  that  he  could 
have  turned  back  of  himself.  Each  day  he  should 
continue  to  be  held  still,  looking  at  the  object  of 
fear  once  only  on  the  first  day  and  repeatedly  for 
some  time  on  the  days  following  until  he  shows 
he  is  no  longer  afraid.  After  he  has  become  quiet 
he  is  left  without  the  companionship  of  the  horse 
which  had  been  placed  in  front  of  him   in   order 


282  FEAR 

to  facilitate  overcoming  his  fear,  and  then  the  men 
at  the  side  are  dispensed  with,  the  man  with  the 
middle  lounge  remaining  alone. 

The  lesser  or  greater  fear  he  experiences  of  any 
object,  and  his  lesser  or  greater  readiness  in  allow- 
ing his  fear  to  be  dispelled  depends  upon  the 
degree  of  confidence  and  trust  and  the  sense  of 
obedience  felt  by  the  horse  towards  the  man  lead- 
ing him  or  at  his  side  or  in  front  of  him,  and 
towards  the  other  men  who  hold  him  on  both  sides, 
and  also  according  as  he  is  more  or  less  nervous. 
It  need  not  be  said  that  in  order  to  dispel  his  fear 
a  place  must  not  be  chosen  with  ditches  or  other 
dangers  near  it  into  which  he  may  go  on  his  re- 
ceding or  swerving  to  one  side.  Then  he  would 
attribute  the  evil  of  having  run  into  the  ditch  to 
the  train  or  other  objects  coming  or  passing  in 
front  of  him,  and  would  be  so  much  the  more 
afraid  of  it. 

Whether  he  draws  back  more  or  less  depends 
on  the  greater  or  lesser  proximity  of  the  point  at 
which  he  is  placed  to  view  the  passing  train  or 
to  hear  the  discharges  or  the  noise    of  other    ma- 


FEAR  283 

chines.  He  should  be  placed  a  long  way  off  on  the 
first  occasion  and  gradually  brought  up  closer 
afterwards.  He  should  not  be  brought  up  closer  if 
in  the  more  distant  place  where  he  was  first  held 
he  has  not  become  entirely  indifferent  to  the  sight 
of  the  object  or  the  noise  of  the  discharge. 

It  requires  a  great  deal  of  time  to  teach  some 
horses  not  to  be  afraid  of  railway  trains.  If  it  is 
a  carriage  horse  it  should  be  led  fi"ee  and  without 
blinkers,  and  not  attached  to  the  carriage,  but 
with  lounges  and  cavesson  on  foot  as  already  sta- 
ted. The  horse  should  be  stopped  at  a  distance 
from  the  place  where  the  train  passes,  to  that  he 
should  see  little  of  it,  and  hear  little  of  the  noise 
to  avoid  making  too  great  an  impression.  Each 
day  on  which  he  is  conducted  afresh  to  see  the 
passing  train,  if  his  nervousness  permits  it,  the 
effect  of  fear  will  diminish,  until  finally  he  will 
be  persuaded  to  have  no  fear  because  no  harm 
happens  to  him. 

He  should  be  shoA\'n  the  train  once  or  twice  a 
day,  but  at  long  intervals  at  the  beginning  in  or- 
der not  to  excit€  him  too  much,  and  to  give  him 


284  FEAR 

time  to  calm  down,  but  this  must  be  continued 
every  day.  In  bringing  him  up  closer  the  stages 
should  be  very  gradual,  so  that  he  should  not  be 
alarmed.  If  it  is  sought  to  draw  him  near  in  a  few 
days  in  order  to  get  the  matter  over  quickly,  he 
may  very  easily  learn  the  contrary,  i.  e.  to  be  afraid 
instead  of  learning  to  have  no  fear.  A  great  deal 
has  then  been  lost,  and  it  is  necessary  to  begin 
anew  standing  at  a  greater  distance,  and  at  such 
a  distance  that  he  is  not  alarmed  by  it,  but  in 
this  case  it  has  become  more  difficult  to  remove 
his  fear,  because  the  fear  has  taken  root  in  the 
mind  of  the  horse.  An  enclosed  field  near  a  rail- 
way and  another  horse  or  more  horses  for  com- 
panionship simplify  very  much  the  process  of  teach- 
ing him  to  have  no  fear.  Oxen  grazing  in  the 
fields  near  the  railway,  after  having  for  some  days 
observed  that  the  passing  of  the  train  does  them 
no  harm,  become  indifl"erent  to  it.  It  then  remains 
to  teach  him  not  to  be  afraid  standing  close  to  the 
train,  because  standing  at  a  certain  distance  causes 
little  fear,  but  standing  close  a  great  deal.  Standing 
near  a  train  going  at  high  speed  excites  great  fear, 


PEAR  285 

and  it  must  be  endeavoured  to  stand  at  a  distance 
if  possible  and  as  far  as  possible  for  many  days. 

To  teach  him  not  to  be  afraid  of  the  discharge 
of  guns,  he  must  be  held  on  foot  with  lounges  and 
cavesson  as  stated,  and  brought  to  a  stop  at  a  very 
great  distance,  so  that  he  should  see  little  of  the 
flash  and  hear  the  minimum  of  noise  from  the  dis- 
charge, and  so  that  the  odour  of  the  powder  fired 
should  become  slight  by  mixing  with  the  air.  When 
he  is  indifferent  at  a  distance  from  the  place  where 
the  firing  takes  place,  he  may  be  guided  round 
at  a  distance,  at  a  walk,  so  that  he  should  be  ac 
customed  not  to  take  alarm  whilst  in  motion.  Here 
likewise  the  attempt  to  force  matters  and  to  finish 
them  quickly  means  retrogi-ession  instead  of  advan- 
ce, and  imperils  the  success  entirely.  He  should 
not  be  led  close  if  at  the  farther  distance  he  has 
not  become  quite  indifferent  to  the  flash  and  the 
noise  of  the  discharge.  Some  do  not  make  reactions 
on  hearing  and  seeing  the  discharge  but  cannot 
help  giving  a  start,  which  is  the  effect  of  a  painful 
sensation  experienced  in  the  brain. 

In  order  to  accustom  him  to  firing   whilst   he 


286  FEAR 

is  ridden,  if  his  nature  allows,  great  gradation  is 
required,  and  lie  must  first  have  been  rendered 
indifferent  to  any  firing  near  him  whilst  led  on 
foot.  A  good  preparation  is  holding  him  still  at 
a  certain  distance  from  a  target  and  going  gra- 
dually nearer.  At  first  only  caps  should  be  used 
once  every  now  and  again,  and  afterwards  a  small 
amount  of  powder.  When  a  pistol  is  fired  off  on 
the  right  with  the  right  hand,  many  horses  acquire 
the  vice  of  turning  round  to  the  left.  This  means 
that  firing  has  been  done  on  horseback  before  they 
became  indifferent  to  firing  on  foot  near  them.  The 
gradual  course  must  be  recommenced,  and  after- 
wards instead  of  firing  with  the  arm  to  the  right, 
the  arm  should  be  held  perpendicular,  and  after- 
wards a  little  to  the  right. 

Much  unrest  and  many  vices  in  the  shape  of 
rearing.  Jumping  and  turning  back  when  shots  are 
fired  on  horseback,  are  caused  by  the  rider,  who 
instead  of  remaining  still  and  not  giving  him  un- 
pleasant sensations  before  firing,  during  firing  and 
after  firing,  jerks  his  mouth  with  the  hand  or  ill- 
treats  him  with  the  spurs,  sits  with  his    body    in- 


FEAR  287 

dined  forward,  and  disturbs  the  horse.  The  dis- 
charge of  guns  is  unendurable  to  some  horses  be- 
cause it  gives  them  a  painful  shock  in  the  brain. 
For  these  a  remedy  may  be  cotton  in  the  ears. . 

In  order  to  accustom  the  horse  to  the  sabre,  it 
is  attached  to  the  saddle  and  the  trainer  walks 
along  with  him  at  his  side,  holding  him  with  the 
cayesson  and  lounge  in  the  riding  school  after 
haying  given  him  instruction  with  the  lounge  and 
he  is  always  stroked  and  stopped  if  he  shows 
signs  of  agitation.  When  he  is  inditferent  at  a  walk 
he  is  made  to  go  at  a  short  trot  and  at  a  gallop, 
and  he  must  always  be  brought  back  to  a  walk 
and  stopped  and  caressed  if  he  begins  to  grow 
excited,  and  not  allowed  to  run  because  he  would 
grow  much  more  excited  and  so  on  indefinitely. 

Corte  da  Pavia  said  that  he  taught  the  war 
horse  to  be  courageous  by  simulating  a  combat 
with  another  rider  who  always  drew  back.  He 
taught  the  horse  to  allow  himself  to  be  ridden  by 
the  master  only,  by  having  him  ridden  by  others 
who  ill-treated  and  punished  him  and  allowed  him 
to  make  reactions  and  pretended  to  fall  from  him 


288  FEAil 

whilst  the  master  when  riding  him  always  cares- 
sed him.  This  is  right.  It  was  giving  good  asso- 
ciations to  the  master  and  bad  associations  to  the 
others,  but  it  does  not  attain  its  purpose  if  the 
rider  is  a  skilled  horseman. 

To  accustom  the  horse  to  the  motor  car  these 
proceedings  will  be  useful.  Place  a  motor  in  the 
centre  of  an  open  space  so  that  it  is  conspicuous 
in  the  full  light  of  day.  Have  the  horse  (of  course 
without  blinkers)  led  round  the  motor  at  the  di- 
stance of  twenty  yards  by  two  or  three  men  with 
two  or  three  lunges  to  the  cavesson.  Walk  the 
horse  very  slowly  and  quietly,  giving  the  soothing 
voice  and  stroking  him  while  walking.  Stop  now 
and  then  to  make  him  more  quiet  and  meanwhile 
repeat  caressing.  The  men  leading  him  must  be 
acquainted  with  the  horse  and  have  his  contidence. 
They  must  not  have  ill-treated  him  and  be  feared 
by  the  horse. 

Gradually  let  the  men  leading  him  round  de- 
scribe smaller  circles  and  (with  the  gradation  requi- 
red by  each  particular  horse  to  overcome  fear)  stop 
at  last  at  a  few   yards    distance   from    the   motor. 


FEAR  289 

After  standing  awhile  and  stroking  him,  with  the 
soothing  voice  sound,  the  men  must  turn  towards 
the  motor  and  draw  the  horse  behind  them  but 
they  must  not  force  him  to  approach  the  motor  if 
they  see  some  reluctance  to  do  so.  This  will  be 
exceptional  because  the  horse  has  the  men  before 
him  and  between  liim  and  tlie  motor.  If  it  happens, 
the  horse  must  be  walked  round  again  for  some 
time.  Forcing  him  to  approach  by  material  force 
would  excite  his  fear  and  teach  him  to  be  afraid 
instead  of  teaching  him  not  to  be  afraid. 

If  by  a  rare  case  he  is  not  willing  to  approach 
the  motor  the  first  day,  he  will  be  willing  another 
day.  Some  one  sitting  on  the  motor  who  knows  the 
horse  and  who  welcomes  him  with  the  soothing 
voice-sound  will  facilitate  his  approaching.  The 
man  sitting  on  the  motor  caresses  him  and  may 
give  him  oats  in  the  box  used  for  that  purpose  and 
known  to  the  horse.  To  gradually  induce  the  horse 
to  eat  oats  on  an  object  of  fear  is  to  give  him  a 
very  good  association  with  that  object. 

To  facilitate  approaching  the  motor  by  a  very 
timorous  horse   his   groom   may   present   him   the 


19 


290  FEAR 

oat-box  at  two  or  three  yards  distance  from  the 
motor  which  will  give  him  the  idea  of  advancing. 
When  the  horse  advances  the  groom  must  step 
backwards  towards  the  motor  to  induce  him  to 
keep  on  advancing,  still  holding  the  box  and  letting 
him  have  a  few  oats.  After  a  while  the  groom  may 
retire  still  more  and  place  the  box  on  the  ground 
close  to  the  motor  or  on  the  motor  itself.  These 
operations  have  the  object  of  giving  the  horse  good 
associations  with  the  motor.  The  men  leading  the 
horse  with  the  lounges,  the  man  sitting  on  the 
motor  and  the  groom  being  all  close  together  with 
the  horse,  he  will  be  soon  persuaded  to  approacli. 
The  noise  of  the  motor  makes  an  impression  on 
all  horses.  It  must  be  Urst  heard  from  a  distance 
the  horse  standing  still  with  two  or  three  men  with 
lounges.  The  men  circle  round  leading  the  horse 
with  the  lounges  and  stop  now  and  then  before 
the  noise  begins,  as  the  first  times  he  must  hear 
it  standing  still,  so  that  he  may  remain  quiet. 
Hearing  the  noise  while  walking  might  excite  him. 
After  he  is  accustomed  to  hear  it  while  standing 
still   he    will   be   kept   walking   to    hear   it    while 


FEAR  291 

walking.  When  he  is  accnstomed  to  hear  it  circling 
from  some  distance  he  must  hear  it  gradually 
nearer  and  standing  behind  the  motor  and  on  the 
side  of  the  motor.  After  this  has  been  done  for 
an  hour  for  several  days  and  the  horse  is  nearing 
the  motor  decidedly  and  is  not  afraid  of  the  noise, 
the  men  leading  him  must  be  gradually  diminished 
till  only  one  leads  with  only  one  lounge  and  with- 
out the  man  who  sat  on    the    motor    and    without 

the  groom. 

When  the  horse  is  accustomed  to  the  sight  and 
noise  of  the  motor  standing  still,  he  should  be  ac- 
customed to  the  motor  moving.  Have  the  motor 
moved  very  slowly  so  that  the  horse  may  be  led 
to  follow  it  by  the  men  with  the  lounges  at  a  slow 
walk.  The  walk  must  be  very  slow.  Were  the  horse 
to  be  obliged  to  follow  at  a  quick  walk  he  would 
grow  excited.  After  he  has  been  walking  for  some 
time  behind  the  motor,  stop  it  and  have  him  led 
forward  passing  close  to  it.  Then  stop  the  horse  and 
move  the  motor  i)assing  close  to  where  the  horse 
stands  and  stop  it  some  yards  forward.  Repeat  this 
several  times  and  then  make  the  horse  walk  close 


292  FEAR 

to  the  moving  motor,  the  man  who  leads  him 
being  between  the  horse  and  the  motor  and  later 
the  horse  next  to  the  motor  and  the  man  outside. 
When  become  familiar  with  these  things  lead  the 
horse  in  one  direction  and  move  the  motor  in  the 
reverse  so  that  they  circle  round  meeting,  and  do 
this  exercise  for  an  hour  for  many  days  till  the 
horse  is  quite  indifferent  to  meeting  the  motor. 
These  proceedings  are  intended  to  show  him  that 
the  motor  moving  does  him  no  harm. 

To  accustom  the  horse  to  the  motor  moving 
with  velocity  choose  a  mile  or  two  of  a  broad  and 
straight  road  that  the  horse  may  see  the  motor 
coming  from  afar.  Place  the  horse  at  one  end  and 
the  motor  at  the  other  and  have  them  meeting 
many  times  with  increased  velocity  but  only  in- 
creasing velocity  if  the  horse  shows  no  excitement 
in  meeting  it  witli  less  velocity.  In  doing  this  the 
horse  must  be  mounted  and  quietly  ridden  and  for 
some  time  must  meet  the  motor  only  at  a  walk 
that  he  may  not  get  excited,  and  then  at  a  trot, 
not  at  a  gallop,  as  many  horses  are  excited  by  the 
gallop.  Repeat  these  meetings  for  many    days    till 


FEAR  293 

the  borse  shows  himself  indiiferent  to  a  good  deal 
of  velocity  but  not  very  great. 

These  proceedings  may  remove  the  fear  of  the 
horse  when  the  motor  moves  at  no  great  speed.  A 
great  speed  will  allways  frighten  horses  as  it  frigh- 
tens us.  To  be  persuaded  of  this  try  to  stand  at  a 
yard's  length  from  the  rails  when  an  express  train 
passes  instead  of  standing  twenty  yards  off.  For 
this  reason  motors  going  at  a  great  rate  will 
be  always  dangerous  to  people  riding  and  driving. 
Horses  that  are  overworked  and  are  used  in  the 
crowded  streets  of  a  large  town  are  less  liable  to 
be  seized  by  the  feeling  of  fear  especially  when 
there  are  two  together.  A  single  horse  on  an  iso- 
lated road  will  be  easily  taken  by  panic  on  seeing 
a  motor  coming  against  him  at  great  speed. 

Having  put  the  horse  in  confidence,  in  obe- 
dience and  taught  him  to  go  in  union  in  the  hand, 
and  having  accustomed  him  not  to  be  afraid  of 
many  objects  we  may  hope  to  remain  his  master. 
We  cannot  be  quite  sure  because  a  great  fear  may 
be  excited  by  some  object  or  animal  and  then  the 
horse  may  obey  his  instinct  of  fear  more  than  our 
aids  and  punishments. 


294  PEAR 

Fear,  if  gi'eat,  is  a  very  serious  matter  in  hor- 
ses, because  as  it  is  an  involuntary  nervous  com- 
motion even  good  treatment  aflt'ords  little  remedy, 
and  has  but  slight  influence.  If  there  is  no  success 
in  removing  it  in  the  way  above  explained  this 
means  that  it  is  an  ill  without  remedy,  and  there- 
fore an  ill  to  which  we  must  resign  ourselves, 
and  it  is  useless  to  allow  oneself  to  be  overcome 
by  anger  and  to  punish  the  horse,  because  this 
only  increases  his  fear.  The  real  remedy  is  to  em- 
ploy the  horse  for  slow  draught  purposes. 


1^ 


4 »^ 


■4i-  <s7^  W  '^7?\e)  W  (sTKc)  W  (s7f\^  ^¥  (Vt\S  W  •sTfsS  W  'STf^  *<;}ir 


REACTIOXS. 


«  Reactions  »  are  actions  of  the  horse  directed 
ai^aiiist  tlie  rider,  who  by  liis  aids  requires  him  to 
perform  some  movement,  or  by  his  punishments 
seeks  to  force  him  to  make  this  movement.  Thev 
may  even  be  made  with  the  idea  of  attacking. 
They  may  be  called  reactions  because  the  horse 
acts  against  the  actions  of  the  rider  which  excite 
and  provoke  him  to  revolt  against  them.  These 
material  reactions  are  manifestations  of  mental 
opposition,  of  resentment,  of  anger,  of  hatred  to- 
wards the  rider. 

The  horse  which  has  acquired  the  habit  of  ma- 
king one  or  more  reacticms  on  the  application  of 
some  aids  or  punishments  or  in  some  particular 
circumstances  or  places  is    called    vicious.    He    has 


296  REACTIONS 


acquired  this  habit  from  having  seen  once  or  se- 
veral times  that  with  his  reactions  he  got  the  bet- 
ter of  the  rider  and  made  the  rider  cease  to  give 
him  aids  and  punishements. 

Vfirioiis  reactions. 

The  horse  may  react  in  various  ways  and  va- 
rious degrees,  for  various  reasons  and  in  connection 
with  various  circumstances.  The  reactions  here  re- 
ferred to  are  not  those  of  the  colt,  from  which 
we  are  not  entitled  to  require  that  he  should  be- 
have well  until,  after  the  proper  period  of  instruc- 
tion, he  has  been  rendered  contident,  obedient  and 
resolute  in  going,  but  those  Avhich  the  horse  know- 
ingly makes  against  the  rider  through  not  desi- 
ring to  perform  a  required  movement  or  owing  to 
ill-will. 

The  horse  may  react  by  rearing  —  kicking  — 
raising  the  croup  —  by  jumping  sideways  or  back- 
ing —  by  standing  still,  refusing  to  go  —  buck- 
ing —  running  away.  —  The  reactions  made  when 
the  body  of  the  horse  is  straight  are  stronger  but 


REArTIONS  297 


those  in  traverse  cause  the   rider   to   lose   his   ba- 
lance more  easily. 

General  Cmtses  of  Reactions. 

As  the  obedience  of  the  horse  is  due  to  his 
mind  being  in  a  state  of  confidence  and  subjection, 
and  his  body  in  the  position  in  which  he  can  be 
prevented  from  making  actions  of  his  own  will, 
the  general  causes  owing  to  which  the  horse  makes 
reactions  are  —  the  moral  condition  of  want  of 
confidence  and  subjection,  in  which  he  rebels 
against  and  feels  enmity  towards  the  rider ;  —  his 
not  being  willing  to  yield  and  obey  the  aids  of 
the  hand  and  the  aids  for  stimulating  him  to  go. 

His  want  of  obedience  and  subjection  is  the 
cause  of  his  desiring  to  follow  his  own  instincts, 
and  to  make  reactions  if  the  rider  endeavours  to 
prevent  him  from  doing  so.  His  having  been  able 
to  make  a  reaction  shows  him  that  the  rider  is  not 
capable  of  preventing  him,  that  he  can  do  so;  it 
opens  his  eyes  to  his  own  strength,  to  his  superio- 
rity over  the  rider,  and  he  always  desires  to  do  it 


298  REACTIONS 


and  does  it  wbenever  provoked.  His  liaving  made 
this  discovery  and  retaining  the  memor}'  of  it  gi- 
ves rise  in  him  to  the  impulse  to  repeat  the  reac- 
tions even  without  provocation  or  any  special 
reason  except  that  of  his  remembering  having  been 
able  to  do  so,  and  from  repeating  them  many  times 
he  acquires  the  habit. 

Save  in  the  case  of  vicious-natured  horses  it  is 
for  the  most  part  the  rider  who  by  his  wrong 
treatment  has  made  the  horse  his  enemy,  and  by 
his  lack  of  skill  has  allowed  him  to  understand 
that  the  rider  is  feeble  and  that  he  can  do  as  he 
desires,  can  react  and  conquer. 

Special  causes  of  reactions. 

The  different  ways  in  which  the  horse  may  ^be 
excited  to  anger  are  chiefly  the  particular  causes 
of  most  of  his    reactions;    they    are   —  the   hand 

aids  which  hurt  his  mouth ;  —  the  aids  and  pu- 
nishments for  exciting  going  inflicted  when,  not 
being  in  an  obedient  frame  of  mind,  he  does  not 
tolerate  them  and  by  them  is  excited  to  anger  and 


REACTIONS  299 


to  revolt ;  —  his  being  forced  by  the  rider  by  way 
of  punishment   to    perform    some   movement   from 
which  his  body  experiences  pain  owing  to  his  not 
being  prepaired  for  it ;  —  the  particular  condition 
of  excessive   sensitiveness   which   makes   him   feel 
excitement  and  anger  even  from  actions  by  which 
other  horses  are  not  excited,  such  as  experiencing 
a  tickling  sensation  or  being  irritated  by  the  spur ; 
—  his  being  in  a  state  of  idleness  and  exuberance 
of  spirits  from  which   he    becomes   very   excitable 
not    tolerating    many    actions    which    he   tolerates 
when   he  is  not   in   this    condition,   and    feels  the 
need  to  jump;  —  his  being   excited   by  anything 
which  hurts  him,  by  the  bit,  the  saddle,  the  crup- 
per,  tight   girths   &c.   —  his   being   weak   in   the 
backbone  or  in  the  houghs  thus  suffering  from  the 
weight  of  the  rider;  —  the  fear  of  objects  which 
make    him    swerve,    turn    back,    rear    and    swing 
round  on  his  hind  legs. 

When  he  is  not  yet  in  obedience  his  instinct 
of  sociability  is  the  reason  of  the  horse  seeking  to 
run  towards  other  horses.  If  he  has  once  been  able 
to  go  to  them  against  the  will  of  the  rider  he  will 


300  REACTIONS 


always  be  anxious  to  go  to  tliem  and  if  the  rider 
attempts  to  prevent  him  he  will  make  reactions. 
Giving  much  leaning  on  the  hand  may  be  the 
cause  for  exciting  running  away. 

Santapaulina  observed  that  teaching  the  horse 
to  go  in  union  is  the  cause  of  most  reactions.  I 
should  sav  that  in  this  case  the  reactions  are  due 
rather  to  the  want  of  gradation  or  preparation  of 
the  body  in  teaching  him  to  go  in  union  owing 
to  which  he  feels  that  pain  is  being  inflicted  upon 
him  in  collecting  him  and  keeping  him  collected. 

The  reactions  are  due  to  the  causes  specified 
but  the  material  possibility  of  making  them  arises 
from  the  horse  having  free  command  over  his  body 
i.  e.  by  his  going  low  on  the  forehand  and  therefore 
beiuff  mechanicallv  able  to  behave  as  he  wishes 
and  take  up  the  preparatory  positions  suited  for 
making  reactions. 

Hoiv  reactions  are  deterinined. 

When  a  horse  has  a  motive  for  making  reac- 
tions from    one   of  the    general    or   special   causes 


REACTIONS  301 


mentioned,  his  reactions  may  be  determined  by  — 
provocations  of  the  rider  —  by  circumstances  — 
by  reminiscence.  —  All  special  causes  which  may 
excite  the  horse  to  make  reactions  may  also  be 
occasions  for  their  being  carried  out. 

Unless  the  horse  is  of  a  vicious  nature  most 
reactions  are  occasioned  by  provocation  of  the  un- 
capable  rider  —  who  does  not  know  what  he 
should  do  —  who  does  what  he  should  not  — 
who  does  not  know  how  to  prevent  them  by  proper 
aids  or  punishments  applied  in  due  time  —  who 
has  ventured  upon  a  struggle  with  him  —  who 
excites  him  with  the  spurs  —  who  rides  him  be- 
fore having  taught  him  confidence,  obedience  and 
brought  his  body  into  the  proper  position  in  which 
it  can  be  prevented  from  making  reactions  —  who 
will  force  the  horse  to  perform  a  movement  which 
he  does  not  desire  to  make  because  his  body,  not 
being  prepared  for  it,  feels  pain.  Usually  the  horse 
refuses  to  make  this  movement  on  the  first  aids 
being  applied  and  reacts  if  punishments  are  given 
for  the  purpose  of  forcing  him  to  make  it. 

When  the  horse  is  ridden  while  he  is  not  yet 


302  REACTIONS 


in  obedience  the  circumstance  of  seeing  horses 
may  be  the  occasion  to  go  to  them;  —  the  cir- 
cumstance of  passing  by  the  road  which  leads  to 
his  stable  may  be  the  occasion  of  going  to  his 
stable  —  the  circumstance  of  meeting  an  object 
which  frightens  him  may  be  the  occasion  of  swer- 
ving and  turning  back. 

If  reactions  are  not  occasioned  by  provocation 
of  a  particular .  rider  they  have  been  provoked  by 
some  previous  rider  and  the  recollection  of  this 
earlier  provocation  is  the  occasion  for  the  horse 
to  continue  making  such  reactions  even  without 
fresh  provocation. 

When  once  the  horse  has  been  able  to  avoid 
performing  the  required  movement  by  making 
reactions,  he  afterwards  makes  reactions  even  on 
the  first  indication  of  an  aid  requiring  it  from  him, 
and  so  much  the  more  on  it  being  sought  to  com- 
pel him  by  punishment,  and  even  without  the  ap- 
plication of  punishment,  merely  owing  to  his 
reminiscence  that  he  had  been  able  to  avoid  per- 
forming the  required  movement  by  making  reac- 
tions. An  occasion  is  necessary  for  the  first  reaction. 


REACTIONS  303 


Subsequently  the  horse  repeats  it  from  remember- 
ing that  he  has  clone  it  before,  that  he  has  been 
able  to  do  it  and  when  there  is  no  apparent 
motive  the  cause  of  the  reaction  is  his  remember- 
ing that  he  has  been  able  to  make  it  and  by  its 
means  has  caused  ill-treatment  and  punishments 
to  cease  and  has  made  the  rider  afraid. 

His  obstinately  refusing  to  move  is  usually 
caused  for  the  first  time  by  his  mouth  being  hurt 
by  the  hand.  If,  after  he  has  stopped,  the  rider 
again  liurts  his  mouth  by  the  hand  and  inflicts 
punishments  to  stimulate  him  to  go,  the  horse, 
being  unable  to  go  ahead  owing  to  being  too  tightly 
held  in,  rears,  and  the  rider  becomes  afraid  and 
entirely  gives  up  using  these  aids  and  punishments. 
Having  thus  reared  for  the  first  time  and  disco- 
vered that  the  rider  was  afraid,  that  he  stopped 
hurting  him  in  the  moutli  and  inflicting  on  him 
punishments  for  exciting  him  to  go,  the  horse  has 
recourse  to  the  action  of  rearing  as  a  means  of 
stopping  these  inflictions  of  pain.  His  first  rearing 
was  due  to  excitement  without  malice.  He  rears 
afterward  from  reminiscence  of  having    seen    that 


304  REACTIONS 


he  was  able  to  do  so,  that  he  frightened  his  rider 
and  made  him  leave  off  inflicting  punishments. 
Thus  rearing  becomes  a  deliberate  and  malicious 
reaction  and  by  repeating  it  the  horse  acquires  the 
habit  of  doing  it,  i.  e.  the  vice  of  doing  it. 

Suppose  a  horse  be  ridden  outside  the  riding 
school  before  he  has  been  taught  to  yield  to  the 
reins  and  to  the  riding  aids  for  exciting  him  to  go 
and  to  remain  in  hand  and  not  be  afraid.  Going 
on  the  road  will  give  him  the  opportunity  of  seeing 
objects  of  fear  and  he  will  swerve,  will  swing 
round  without  his  rider  being  able  to  prevent  it, 
because  the  horse  has  not  yet  learnt  to  obey  his 
aids  and  punishments.  The  rider  will  become  irri- 
tated and  will  inflict  even  severe  punishment  the 
first  time,  but  not  being  able  to  hold  him  the  horse 
will  turn  back,  or  will  swing  round  on  his  hind 
legs  notwithstanding  the  punishments,  or  else  he 
will  swing  round,  replying  to  the  punishments  by 
croupades  and  jumps. 

On  these  reactions  the  rider  ceases  to  apply 
aids  and  punishments  and  the  horse  sees  that  he 
can  run  away  from  the  object  of  which  he  is  afraid 


REACTIONS  305 


and  that  tlie  rider  is  unable  to  prevent  him  from 
doing  so,  and  he  will  always  wish  to  swerve  aside 
or  turn  back  and  will  also  repeat  the  reactions  if 
it  is  sought  to  forestall  him  whenever  he  sees  the 
object  which  gives  him  fear.  Here  the  first  occa^ 
sion  for  the  swerving  and  making  reactions  was 
his  being  ridden  outside  the  riding  school  before 
mastery  of  him  had  been  obtained,  and  the  im- 
mediate occasion  his  having  seen  an  object  which 
inspired  him  with  fear. 

Suppose  a  horse  which  has  difficulty  in  traver- 
sing and  which  the  rider  wishes  to  force  to  traverse 
by  punishment  with  the  spur  without  simulta- 
neously raising  the  hand  at  the  moment  of  applying 
the  spur.  The  horse  responds  to  the  spur  punish- 
ment by  kicking,  throwing  up  the  croup,  going 
against  the  spur  by  throwing  out  the  croup  on  the 
side  where  the  spur  is  applied,  and  if  the  rider 
continues  to  apply  punishments  he  may  begin  to 
buck. 

Here  the  occasion  for  his  learning  to  react 
against  the  application  of  the  spur  and  throw  up 
the  croup  on  the  spar  being  applied  and  begin  to 


20 


306  REACTIONS 


buck,  is  the  attempt  to  make  him  traverse  when 
he  did  not  know  how,  when  he  experienced  diffi- 
culty in  doing  it,  and  the  rider  not  knowing  how  to 
raise  the  hand  in  proper  time  to  impede  reactions. 

The  occasion  for  making  reactions  may  also  be 
due  to  special  circumstances  which  give  rise  in  the 
horse  to  the  idea  of  performing  movements  con- 
trary to  those  the  rider  wishes.  He  may  by  a 
chance  not  considered  by  the  rider  be  guided  into 
a  road  which  leads  home,  and  thus  obtain  ihe 
idea  of  going  there,  of  desiring  to  go  there. 

If  the  rider  seeks  to  prevent  him  going  home  by 
aids  and  punishments  the  idea  of  making  reactions 
may  be  suggested  to  him,  and  if  by  them  he  suc- 
ceeds in  going  home,  i.  e.'  in  getting  the  better, 
he  will  always  want  to  do  so  if  the  idea  of  going 
home  enters  in  his  head. 

The  horse  which  will  not  separate  himself  from 
other  horses,  does  not  make  reactions  if  allowed 
to  go  together  with  them,  but  may  make  them  if 
it  is  sought  to  make  him  go  in  another  direction 
by  aids  and  punishments.  Here  the  attempt  to  se- 
parate him   from    the    other    horses    has    furnished 


REACTIONS  307 


him  the  occasion  for  making  reactions.  If  he  is 
required  a  second  time  to  part  from  other  horses 
this  will  give  rise  to  his  refusing  it  by  making 
reactions  to  the  first  aid  applied  to  get  him  to 
separate  from  them. 

The  most  important  thing  to  observe  in  riding 
horses  is  to  avoid  giving  them  opportunities  to 
learn  to  make  reactions  since  prevention  is  better 
than  cure  as  was  remarked  by  Santaj^aulina  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  With  a  view  to  avoiding  such 
opportunities  care  must  be  taken  not  to  do  many 
things  and  to  do  many  others.  —  The  horse  should 
not  be  ridden  outside  the  riding  school  if  mastery 
of  him  has  not  first  been  obtained  inside,  —  if 
he  is  not  in  a  confident  and  obedient  frame  of 
mind  and  well  in  hand,  —  if  he  has  not  been 
accustomed  to  seeing  many  objects  without  fear. 
—  He  should  also  not  be  ridden  even  in  the 
riding  school  if  he  is  not  obedient  and  resolute 
in  the  trot  and  if  he  does  not  go  forward  on  the 
slightest  aid,  because  otherwise  he  might  make  reac- 
tions, and  after  having  done  so  it  cannot  be  obli- 
terated from  his  mind. 


308  REACTIONS 


We  must  require  gradually  what  the  horse  will 
be  able  to  do  according  to  his  previous  instruction. 
If  we  require  that  he  should  perform  a  movement 
care  must  be  taken  that  he  has  understood  what 
is  desired  and  that  his  body  be  prepared  for  it  by 
other  preceding  movements  so  that  he  may  not 
feel  difficulty  and  pain  in  his  body  while  doing  it. 
To  secure  his  performing  the  movement  the  rider 
should  know  what  preparatory  position  he  must 
make  him  take  up  in  order  that  he  may  be  able 
to  do  it,  and  should  have  the  ability  to  apply  right 
aids  to  make  him  do  it. 

The  good  training  by  which  we  render  oursel- 
ves master  of  the  horse  in  conjunction  with  the 
fact  of  his  being  trained  by  a  capable  person  who 
requires  from  him  only  Avhat  he  can  do,  —  wlio 
does  not  seek  to  force  him  to  do  any  thing  save 
what  he  is  certain  of  being  able  to  compel  him  to 
do  and  that  only  after  the  horse  has  acquired  the 
habit  of  going  well,  aifords  him  no  opportunity  of 
learning  to  make  reactions  and  of  seeing  that  he 
is  the  stronger  and  can  do  as  he  chooses. 

Many  horses  have  a  very  good  na^ture  and    do 


REACTIONS 


iod 


not  make  reactions  even  when  they  are  ill-treated, 
limiting  themselves  to  shosving  lesser  or  greater 
oppositions,  but  many  others  soon  make  powerful 
reactions.  To  attempt  to  compel  a  horse  to  jump 
over  obstacles  when  he  does  not  know  how  and 
when  he  has  not  been  mastered  is  the  means  most 
adapted  to  teaching  him  not  to  jump,  to  refuse  to 
jump,  and  to  perform  reactions  of  all  sorts. 

Remedy  (igainftt  reactions. 

Reactions  are  made  by  the  horse  which  is  not 
in  contidence,  which  is  not  in  obedience,  which  in 
going  is  out  of  hand  (that  is,  keeps  his  l)ody  low 
on  the  forehand  in  a  position  mechanically  suited 
to  make  movements  of  liis  own  will),  which  is  not 
ready  to  move  forward  to  the  aids  given  him  for 
stimulating  him  to  go. 

To  the  horse  which  has  learned  to  make  reac- 
tions the  real  remedy  is  to  teach  him  confidence 
and  obedience  as  by  that  he  will  become  persua- 
ded not  to  make  reactions  and  to  teach  liim  to  go 
in  a  good  position  and  in  union,  and  to  be  ready 


310  REACTIONS 


to  go  forward  resolutely  at  the  slightest  aids  for 
going  as  by  that  the  horse  will  have  no  more  the 
material  possibility  of  making  reactions.  This  if  he 
is  susceptible  of  being  cured,  that  is  if  his  moral 
nature  is  not  so  obstinate  as  not  to  permit  of  being 
persuaded  not  to  make  reactions. 

These  things  may  be  taught  through  proper 
instruction  with  the  lunge  and  they  are  also  a  re- 
medy to  stable  vices  of  those  horses  which  are 
susceptible  of  being  cured.  It  is  understood  that  the 
application  of  aids  and  punishments  with  the  lunge 
and  whip  is  to  be  made  at  the  proper  time  which 
must  be  seized  as  in  fencing  and  fighting.  A  step 
taken  at  a  wrong  moment  is  of  no  use  in  war  and 
in  training  horses.  The  rules  for  the  application 
of  the  various  aids  and  punishments  are  in  TJArte 
di  Cavdlcare  Chapters  YI.  and  YII. 

Material  coercion  and  very  severe  punishments  ^ 
are  not  a  real  cure  if  their  application  does  not 
produce  persuasion  not  to  make  a  special  reaction 
for  fear  of  receiving  such  punishments.  If  these 
material  means  are  applied  they  must  be  applied 
in  the  places  and  in  the   circumstances   in   which 


REACTIONS  311 


the  special  reaction  was  flrst  made  and  learned  to 
show  the  horse  that  he  is  conquered  in  the  places 
and  in  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was  induced 
to  make  that  special  reaction.  If  it  is  not  possible 
to  put  him  in  the  same  places  and  in  the  same 
circumstances  in  which  he  learned  to  make  a  spe- 
cial reaction  circumstances  and  places  must  be  imi- 
tated as  well  as  may  be. 

With  cart-horses  which  liad  taken  tlie  rice  of 
stopping  and  would  not  move,  the  remedy  of  olden 
times  in  the  country  was  to  lii^ht  straw  under  the 
belly.  Some  would  not  move  till  the  straw  was 
actually  lighted  though  they  knew  the  effect  of  fire 
from  having  experienced  it  at  other  times.  This 
shoAvs  that  they  were  intelligent. 

To  tie  tlie  horse  to  the  spot  where  he  stopped 
and  would  not  move  and  keep  him  there  a  whole 
day  was  another  remedy  and  had  a  good  effect.  With 
a  verv  restive  cart  horse  ihe  second  remedv  mav 
still  be  of  service. 


> 


mmmwfmmmfmmmwmm'mm 


O:^  THE  BRIDLIISG  OF  HOESES  AXD 
THE  USE  OF  THE  CURB-BIT. 


In  the  XYI.  Century  first  Cesare  Fiasclii  a 
nobleman  of  Ferrara  (1539)  and  after  him  Pirr' An- 
tonio Ferrari  a  nobleman  of  I^aples  (1598)  Avrote 
on  the  Bridling  of  horses.  Fra  Giovanni  Paolo 
d'  Aquino,  knight  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  (Udiiie 
1636)  mentions  the  latter  and  not  the  former  pro- 
bably because  he  was,  like  himself,  a  native  of  the 
Kingdom  of  Naples.  The  Bitter  von  Weyrother, 
head  of  the  austrian  military  riding  school  (Vienna 
1810),  said  what  was  said  by  Fiaschi  before  liim, 
but  Weyrother  employed  modern  expressions  and 
invented  the  measuring  curb-bit. 

Fiaschi  said  moreover  that  when  adapting  the 
bit  to    a   horse   besides   the    shape   of  his   mouth, 


ON   BErDLING  313 


bars,  tongue,  cavity  of  the  mouth,  palate,  thickness 
of  the  lips,  it  is  necessary  to  take  into  account 
the  conformation  of  his  body  and  neck,  the  strength 
or  the  weakness  of  the  fore  part,  the  back  and 
the  feet.  He  very  judiciously  remarked  also  that 
the  curb-bit  alone  is  not  sufficient  to  make  hor- 
ses go  well  but  it  is  necessary  to  have  them  tho- 
roughly trained  in  advance  to  go  well  and  lightly 
and  that  only  then  the  head  and  the  neck  could 
be  drawn  in  the  right  position  which  their  con- 
formation allows.  He  might  liave  added  that  the 
rider  must  know  how  to  apply  the  aids  of  the  hand. 

Regarding  the  question  as  to  whether  the  upper 
cheeks  of  the  curb-bit  are  more  adapted  to  raise 
the  head,  when  long  or  short,  the  Cavaliere  d'A- 
quino  said  that  the  upper  cheeks  if  shorter  gave 
greater  action  to  the  curb-bit  and  therefore  had 
greater  power  to  raise  the  liead.  It  is  understood 
that  to  raise  the  head  tlie  curb-bit  should  be  made 
to  act  by  the  hand  in  a  raisin"  direction. 

The  object  of  the  curb-bit  is  to  subject  the 
head,  neck  and  body  to  the  action  of  the  hand  in 
order  to  control   the    horse   better   than    with   the 


314  ON   BRIDLING 


snaffle  and  to  compel  liini  to  execute  better,  with 
more  union,  the  moyements  that  are  desired.  The 
curb-bit  acts  as  a  secondary  lever  in  which  the 
power  is  the  hand  by  means  of  the  reins,  the  re- 
sistance is  in  the  bars  on  which  the  cannon  is  pla- 
ced, and  the  point  of  support  is  the  curb  which 
makes  the  bit  act. 

The  cannon  is  the  part  of  the  bit  which  is  pla- 
ced in  the  mouth  and  keeps  the  cheeks  tirm.  The 
upper  cheeks  are  the  pieces  above  the  cannon, 
the  lower  cheeks  are  the  pieces  that  are  under- 
neath. The  cannon  would  be  preferable  if  hollow, 
because  it  is  lighter,  than  if  solid,  but  if  hollow 
it  is  not  so  strong  and  the  bit  must  be  strong.  It 
must  not  be  possible  that  it  could  break  and  the 
liorse  go  free.  The  cannon  must  be  placed  on  the 
bars  of  the  lower  jaw  between  the  tusks  and  molar 
teeth  without  touching  either. 

The  curb  should  lie  well  flat  round  the  outer 
jaw  just  above  the  chin  so  that  when  the  curb-bit 
is  made  to  act  the  curb  should  not  rise  if  possible. 
The  rising  of  the  curb  and  its  keeping  higher  than 
it  should  be  above  the  chin  may  be  caused  by  the 


ON   BRIDLING  315 


upper  cheeks  of  the  curb-bit  being  long  or  by  the 
horse  having  a  very  low  chin  or  by  the  cannon 
being  high  in  the  mouth,  and  these  three  causes 
may  concur  together. 

The  cannon  may  be  made  to  stay  a  little  higher 
or  lower  in  the  space  between  the  tusks  of  the 
lower  jaw  and  the  molar  teeth  through  making 
the  head  piece  of  the  bridle  shorter  or  longer. 
The  action  of  the  curb-bit  tends  to  bring  down 
the  head  and  more  so  if  the  cannon  is  placed  lo- 
wer in  the  space  between  the  tusks  and  molar 
teeth  and  less  if  higher.  If  it  is  required  that  the 
cannon  be  high  in  the  mouth  on  account  of  the 
horse' s  tendency  to  drop  his  head  the  curb  will 
stay  higher,  but  this  cannot  be  altered. 

The  curb  must  be  smooth  and  of  a  moderate 
breadth  so  as  not  to  cause  pain  to  the  jaw  for  the 
action  of  the  curb-bit  ought  to  be  only  on  the 
bars  and  therefore  the  curb  ought  to  serve  only 
as  a  support  to  the  action  of  the  bit.  If  it  were 
uneven  and  narrow  it  would  cause  the  horse  pain. 
If  it  is  seen  that  the  curb  gives  pain  to  the  horse 
a  leather  strap  can  be  put  in  its  stead. 


316  ON   BRIDLING 


Curbs  with  points  to  cause  much  pain  are  used 
sometimes  to  force  horses  with  hard  mouths  to  give 
in.  If  it  succeeds  with  some  horses  having  hard 
mouths  it  may  be  used,  but  generally  the  want 
of  effect  of  the  ordinary  curb-bit  proceeds  from  the 
unskilful  hand  which  allows  itself  to  be  weighed 
upon  —  or  from  the  stiffness  of  the  body,  —  or 
from  the  bad  action  of  the  horse  which  when  going 
holds  his  body  in  a  low  position  —  or  from  weak- 
ness of  the  backbone,  legs  and  feet. 

The  curb  must  be  several  links  longer  than 
what  is  needed  in  order  to  be  able  to  take  hold 
of  it  with  the  fingers  and  put  it  on  its  hook  and 
it  should  be  used  long  at  first  and  shortened  gra- 
duallv  in  order  to  accustom  the  horse  to  its  action 
by  degrees.  The  curb  must  be  sufiiciently  long  to 
alloAV  the  lower  clieeks  of  the  bit  to  go  back  at 
least  one  third  of  a  right  angle  from  the  line  of 
the  opening  of  the  mouth  and,  in  many  cases,  to 
act  more  gradually,  even  half  a  right  angle  accor- 
ding as  it  mav  be  found  useful  for  certain  horses 
and  according  to  their  degree  of  sensibility.  A  very 
short  curb  keeping  the  lower  cheeks  in  the  direc- 


ON   BRIDLING  317 


tion  of  the  mouth  and  not  letting  them  go  back 
has  a  very  strong  action,  but  not  gradual. 

The  straight  cannon  acts  flat  on  the  two  bars. 
The  curved  cannon  acts  on  the  outside  edges  of 
the  bars  and  gives  a  little  freedom  to  the  tongue, 
but  is  more  felt  by  the  horse  because  it  acts  on 
a  smaller  surface  of  the  bars.  For  the  same  reason 
the  thin  cannon  has  more  action  than  the  thick 
one  as  it  acts  upon  a  smaller  surface  of  the  bars. 

The  several  curves  of  the  cannon  are,  according 
to  Weyrother,  to  give  freedom  to  the  tongue  so 
that  the  tongue  is  not  caught  between  the  bars 
and  the  bit  with  the  object  that  the  bit  be  felt 
more,  as  he  holds  that  the  bars  are  more  sensitive 
than  the  tongue.  He  says  that  if  the  cavity  of  the 
mouth  is  large  enough  to  enable  the  tongue  to 
settle  inside  and  not  receive  any  pressure  the 
curb-bit  acts  with  greater  power.  If  the  tongue 
does  not  settle  in  the  cavity  but  gets  jammed 
between  the  cannon  and  the  bars,  the  action  is 
smaller. 

Mv  master  Francesco  Savler  remarked  that  the 
gums  are  much  less  sensitive  than  the  tongue  and 


318  ON  BRIDLING 


that  the  pressure  of  the  bit  on  the  tongue  would 
be  felt  more  by  the  horse  than  the  pressure  on  the 
bars.  This  is  a  reason  for  believing  that  greater 
freedom  must  be  given  to  the  tongue  so  that  it 
should  not  feel  pressure  and  pain  and  that  the 
horse  should  feel  less  pain  from  the  action  of  the 
curb-bit  which  is  in  condradiction  to  wliat  is  sta- 
ted by  Weyrother. 

To  enable  the  tongue  to  fit  in  the  arc  of  the 
cannon  which  is  intended  for  it,  if  the  plane  of 
the  arc  is  in  the  same  plane  with  that  of  the  cheeks 
of  the  curb-bit,  (as  curb-bits  are  usually  made) 
the  lower  cheeks  should  be  made  to  come  very 
much  back  to  form  a  right  angle  with  the  bars. 
To  allow  this  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  the 
curb  very  long  in  which  case  no  lever  action  could 
be  made  and  therefore  no  curb-bit  would  exist. 
This  inconvenience  may  be  remedied  in  the  follo- 
wing way.  In  order  that  the  arc  of  the  cannon 
should  give  the  tongue  all  possible  freedom  without 
the  curb  being  very  long,  the  plane  of  the  arc  of 
the  cannon  should  make  half  a  right  angle  with 
the  plane  of  the  cheeks.  Then  if  the  lower  cheeks 


ON   BRIDLING  319 


of  the  curb-bit  are  drawn  back  by  the  reins  so  as 
to  act  at  half  a  right  angle,  from  the  position  in 
which  they  are  in  the  same  line  with  the  opening 
of  the  mouth,  the  plane  of  the  arc  will  become 
X)erpendicular  to  the  bars  and  will  give  the  tongue 
the  utmost  possible  freedom. 

The  curve  of  the  cannon  which  is  to  give  free- 
dom to  the  tongue  must  have  a  smaller  opening 
than  the  breadth  of  the  cavity  of  the  bars  so  that 
the  cannon  should  keep  on  the  bars.  If  the  opening 
of  the  cannon  were  to  be  larger  than  the  breadth 
of  the  cavity  of  the  bars  the  cannon  would  not  re- 
main stationarv  over  the  bars  but  would  fall  on  one 
side  of  the  bars  thus  Avounding  some  part  of  them. 

If  the  arc  which  gives  freedom  to  the  tongue 
were  elliptical  instead  of  round,  one  would  think 
that  it  would  be  more  convenient  to  the  horse's 
tongue,  as  it  would  leave  the  tongue  in  a  position 
less  different  from  its  natural  position  which  is 
that  of  being  extended  in  the  sense  of  its  breadth. 
If  the  tongue  is  kept  curved  V)y  a  round  and  nar- 
row arc  it  seems  that  it  would  feel  an  uncomfor- 
table sensation.    Both    arcs    will    be    more    or   less 


/- 


(^ 


320  ON   BRIDLING 


uncomfortable  as  they  keep  the  tongue  in  an  unnar 
tural  position. 

The  freedom  of  the  tongue  is  required  more  in 
the  case  of  horses  which  have  the  cavity  of  the 
bars  narrow  and  a  large  tongue  as  in  this  case  the 
tongue  does  not  fit  in  the  cavity  but  comes  out 
more.  If  the  cavity  of  the  bars  is  narrow  and  the 
tongue  large,  much  freedom  of  the  tongue  is  requi- 
red but  not  so  much  as  to  make  the  arc  touch  the 
palate.  If  the  cavity  of  the  bars  is  wide  and  the 
tongue  small,  it  fits  in  properly  and  has  no  pres- 
sure from  the  bit  and  the  bit  does  not  require  any 
freedom  for  the  tongue. 

The  measuring  curb-bit  invented  by  Weyrother 
is  very  convenient  for  taking  the  breadth  of  the 
cannon  as  it  can  be  made  narrower  and  wider;  and 
especially  for  trying  the  length  to  be  given  to  the 
upper  and  lower  cheeks  because  these  can  be  made 
shorter  or  longer  to  ascertain  which  degree  of 
action  is  best  suited  to  the  sensibility  of  the  diffe- 
rent mouths.  The  cannon  should  be  of  the  same 
breadth  as  the  mouth ;  if  larger  it  does  not  remain 
firm  and  if  narrower  it  presses  the  lips. 


ON   BRIDLING  321 


The  proportion  of  the  length  between  the  upper 
and  lower  clieeks  giAes  a  proportionate  power  of 
action  to  the  bit  by  means  of  the  curb.  The  shor- 
ter the  cheeks  are  above  the  cannon  and  the  lon- 
ger they  are  under  the  cannon  the  more  the  curb- 
bit  acts.  Weyrother  says  that  the  upper  cheeks 
must  be  equal  to  tlie  depth  of  the  cavity  of  the 
bars  and  the  lower  cheeks  double,  but  to  find  a  bit 
whicli  suits  a  horse  it  is  better  to  try  the  upper 
and  lower  clieeks  of  different  lengths  and  see  which 
length  gives  the  curb-bit  the  power  of  action  which 
will  suit  him  best  without  causing  him  too  much 
pain.  A  degree  of  pain  must  be  caused  so  that  he 
should  find  the  necessity  of  giving  way.  If  the 
curb-bit  can  give  no  pain  at  all  the  horse  will 
not  obey  it. 

As  a  rule,  the  horse,  and  all  other  animals 
yield  to  a  brief  infliction  of  pain  and  revolt  against 
pain  if  prolonged.  Revolting  against  brief  pain  may 
arise  if  the  horse  is  particularly  excitable,  but 
usually  revolting  results  from  provocation  of  the 
rider  who  draws  the  reins  tightly  and  continuously 
thus  giving  the  horse  continual  pain.  If  we  yield 


21 


332  ON   BRIDLING 


the  baud  to  a  liorse  immediately  after  he  ha«  yiekl- 
ed  his  head,  neck  or  body  to  a  short  action  of 
the  hand,  this  gives  him  to  understand  that  by 
yielding  the  head,  neck  or  body  he  ceases  to  feel 
any  pain  in  the  mouth.  If  continual  pain  is  given 
by  the  hand  to  a  hoi-se  who  is  very  sensitive  he 
becomes  excitable,  stops,  backs  or  rears  for  it  is 
his  instinct  to  trv  to  free  himself  from  a  conti- 
nual  pain.  This  is  the  reason  that  the  action  of 
the  hand  must  be  used  intermittently  and  not 
continuously. 

In  order  to  hnd  a  bit  which  suits  a  horse,  the 
mouth  of  the  horse  must  be  examined  so  far  as  it 
concerns  the  bars,  breadth,  depth  of  the  cavity  of 
the  bars,  thickness  of  the  lips,  tongue,  etc.,  and 
a  curb-bit  should  be  tried  which  seems  most  sui- 
table to  him  according  to  the  principles  explained. 
If  we  see  that  it  has  too  little  or  too  much  action 
we  should  trv  a  curb-bit  without  freedom  to  the 
tongue  and  one  with  freedom  to  see  which  he  obeys 
best.  To  find  out  the  proper  proportion  of  length  of 
the  upper  and  lower  cheeks  Weyrother's  measuring 
curb-bit  is  particularly  useful  because  with  it  we 


\ 


ON   BRIDLING  323 


can  alter  the  cheeks  as  we  will.  If  the  measuriug 
eurb-bit  is  not  available  we  should  try  several  bits 
with  cheeks  of  difterent  leuijths. 

The  eifect  of  the  different  curb-bits  must  be 
tried  on  every  single  horse  and  we  must  not  trust 
absolutely  to  the  abstract  theory  because  usually 
the  lean  and  ])ointed  bars  are  very  sensitive  while 
those  fleshy  and  remind  are  little  sensitive  but  there 
are  mouths  which,  to  judge  from  a  superficial 
inspection,  appear  less  sensitive,  whereas  they  are 
more  so  and  there  are  other  mouths  which  appear 
very  sensitive  while  they  are  not  so,  and  there  are 
horses  which  are  more  sensitive  about  the  bars 
than  in  the  tongue,  and  others  that  are  the  contrary. 

As  to  the  effect  of  the  curb-bit  one  must  bear 
in  mind  that  a  bodv  on  a  small  base  is  drawn 
more  easily  than  a  body  on  a  large  one.  Thus  a 
horse  can  be  drawn  any  way  it  is  required  if  his 
body  has  been  made  agile  and  pliant  and  if  we 
liave  accustomed  him  to  go  in  a  good  position  and 
collected.  Besides  tliis,  a  study  must  be  made  of 
the  way  of  giving  tlie  aids  of  the  hand  and  of  gi- 
ving them  proportionally  to  the  sensitiveness  of 
ea^h  single  horse. 


324  ON   BRIDLING 


The  degree  of  power  to  be  given  to  the  curb-bit 
should  be  prescribed  by  the  degree  of  sensitiveness 
of  the  horse' s  mouth  but  also  by  the  degi-ee  of  skill 
of  the  hands  of  the  rider  who  is  to  ride  a  given 
horse.  The  curb-bit  may  have  much  power  if  the 
rider  has  light  and  skilful  hands:  it  should  not 
have  much  power  if  the  rider's  hands  are  hard 
and  unskilful. 

The  curb-bit  must  have  such  power  that  the 
action  of  the  hand  can  lead  and  regulate  the  horse 
without  causing  him  too  much  pain.  If  the  liorse 
is  very  sensitive  less  action  must  be  given  to  the 
curb-bit  and  less  acti<m  to  the  hand.  It  is  neces- 
sary however^  to  give  the  curb-bit  the  possibility 
of  acting  with  power  because  in  case  of  excitement 
and  fright  the  horse  feels  the  aids  of  the  hand 
given  him  much  less  than  when  he  is  not  under 
these  impressions.  If  the  horse  does  not  feel  much, 
considerable  power  must  l)e  given  to  the  curb-bit 
in  order  that  the  hand  should  have  strength  enough 
to  compel  him  to  execute  what  is  required  of  him 
and  to  command  him. 

As  a  summary  of  the  essential  things   on    tliis 


OKf   BRIDLING  325 


subject  it  may  be  useful  to  repeat  that  the  mate- 
rial eifect  of  the  various  actions  of  the  hands  by 
means  of  the  reins  on  the  curb-bit  is  to  cause  a 
certain  degree  of  pain  to  the  moutli  (more  or  less) 
in  order  that  the  horse,  to  make  the  pain  cease, 
may  be  willing  to  do  one  of  these  things :  —  dimi- 
nish his  motion  or  stop;  —  yield  with  head,  neck 
and  body ;  —  assume  a  particular  attitude  of  head, 
neck,  and  body ;  —  bend  head,,  neck  or  body ;  —  go 
to  one  side  and  backward ;  —  do  some  other  par- 
ticular actiim;  —  put  his  i)ody  in  a  collected 
position. 

The  several  actions  of  the  hands  have  also  the 
effect  of  mechanically  indicating  to  the  horse  the 
various  positi<ms  in  whicli  it  is  desired  that  he 
should  place  himself  and  of  inducing  him  mecha- 
nically to  assume  these  positi(ms. 

As  soon  as  the  horse  vields  to  the  actions  of 
the  hands  jind  does  that  which  by  these  actions 
has  been  demanded  of  him,  the  actions  of  the 
hands  should  cease  in  order  that  the  horse  may 
understand  that  he  causes  the  pain  given  to  his 
mouth  by  the  bit  to  cease  when  he  yields  his  head, 


32fi  ON   RtJTDLlXG 


iieok,  and  I^hIv  or  when  lie  performs  the  other 
movements  re<|uire<l  of  liim  and  indicated  to  him 
])y  the  various  actions  of  tlie  hands. 

The  actions  of  the  hands  may  be  rei>eated  many 
times  with  a  moment's  interval  and  a}<  offen  as  is 
necessary  to  obtain  the  proposed  ett'ect  but  always 
intermittently  and  not  continuously  so  as  to  pre- 
serve sensibility  to  the  mouth  of  the  hoi-se  and  not 
to  incite  him  to  use  his  head,  neck  and  body  to 
defeat  them. 

Only  Avhen  the  horse  jioe.s  collected  and  in  oood 
leanincr  the  action  of  the  hands  is  continuous  but 
in  that  case  it  should  cause  verv  little  discomfort 
to  his  mouth  so  that  it  may  be  easily  tolerated 
as  if  the  horse  experienced  acute  pain  in  the  moutli 
it  would  get  injured  or  he  would  be  excited  to 
make  reactions  or  both  effects  might  follow  or  the 
mouth  would  l^ecome  insensible.  At  the  moment 
when  the  hoi*se  is  seized  with  fear  we  may  hold 
him  with  strong  leaning  and  even  punish  him  with 
the  hand  in  order  to  prevent  him  from  turning 
back  but  it  should  be  done  only  at  that  moment 
and  as  an  evil  to   avoid  a  gieater  evil. 


ON   BUmLING  327 


We  sliould  remember  that  wlieii  the  h(>i*se  is 
heated  by  motion  he  can  bear  even  con8idei*al)le 
]>aiii  ill  bis  moutli  without  making  reactions  because 
lieing  heated  and  roused  he  does  not  feel  the  pain 
but  the  bars  become  sore  and  the  horse  cannot 
tlien  be  used  with  the  curb  or  tlie  snaftle.  The 
same  happens  with  the  saddle  and  with  the  colhir 
wliich  sometimes  cause  sores  that  are  noticed  only 
at  the  end  of  the  journey  when  saddle  and  liarness 
are  removed,  because  the  horse  ffave  no  sign  of 
feeling  pain  wliilc  working.  With  the  suattic  not 
much  etfect  can  be  made  but  a  strong  effect  can 
be  made  with  the  curb. 

Another  thing  to  lt»-  noted  is  the  difference 
l)etweeii  the  action  of  tlie  liand  for  giving  leaning 
and  the  action  of  the  hand  for  ."^topping.  The  oppo- 
sition of  the  hands  made  for  the  sake,  of  giving 
leaning  to  the  lioi*se  and  of  keeping  him  in  good 
leaning  ought  not  to  be  confused  with  the  opposi- 
tion made  for  tlie  sake  of  st<>pping.  in  order  that 
the  horse  mav  not  mistake  the  one  for  the  other. 
The  opposition  made  to  give  leaning  and  keep  the 
horse  in    good   leaning    is    elastic    and    continuous. 


328  ON   BRlt)LING 


The  opposition  made  for  stopping  is  gTadiial,  increa- 
sing, ending  in  an  absolute  opposition. 

Tlie  elastic  opposition  made  to  keep  the  horse 
in  leaning  tends  to  make  him  continue  his  motion 
and  not  to  make  him  stop,  because  it  keeps  the 
body  of  the  horse  in  a  constant  position  of  motion 
and  he  must  cliange  this  position  for  stopping.  The 
horse  kept  in  leaning  tends  to  increase  it  and  to 
weigh  on  the  hand.  It  should  not  last  long  and 
ought  to  cease  before  the  horse  weighs  on  the  hands. 

The  martingale  is  of  great  advantage  for  con- 
trolling the  oppositions  of  head  and  neck,  as  it 
gives  a  j)oint  of  support,  a  fulcrum,  to  the  actions 
of  the  hands  on  both  reins  and  is  a  safeguard  in 
riding  an  unknown  horse  and  any  liorse.  An  en- 
glish  author  (I  think  Berenger)  ascribes  this  useful 
invention  to  Evangelista  Corte,  uncle  to  Olaudio. 
The  use  of  tlie  hands  has  been  minutely  explained 
in  the  Functions  of  the  hands  in  ridinq. 

The  general  method  of  instruction  is  to  ride 
the  colt  directly  and  to  teach  him  to  lean  directly 
on  the  snaffle  from  the  beginning.  This  has  the 
advantage  that  it  will  be  possible  to  ride  him   in 


ON   BRIDLING  329 


a  short  time  but  the  result  will  be  that  the  colt 
will  tend  to  too  luuoh  leaning,  his  hind  legs  will 
never  be  brought  well  forward  to  the  maximum 
relatively  to  his  forehand;  and  his  gaits  will  not 
be  developed  to  the  maximum. 

To  make  tlie  horse  supple,  to  develop  well  his 
gaits,  to  make  him  bring  well  forward  his  hind 
legs  through  proper  instruction  with  the  lounge 
without  the  weight  of  a  rider  on  his  back  and 
without  any  leaning  on  the  dumb-jockey  is  a  lon- 
ger method  but  has  not  the  above  inconveniencies. 
The  dumb-jockey  is  an  instrument  which  teaches 
the  horse  to  press  against  the  hands  and  makes 
him  learn  the  bad  habit  of  leaning  on  them. 

The  instruction  with  the  lounge  ought  to  be  witli 
a  free  head.  Then  the  spine  and  all  limbs  are  allo- 
wed free  movements  and  can  acquire  suppleness  and 
the  hind  legs  can.be  brought  well  forward  relati- 
velv  to  the  forehand.  The  rules  for  this  instruction 
are  given  in  chapter  X.  of  l'Arte  di  Cavalcare 
and  the  working  of  the  horse's  machine  is  explain- 
ed in  chapter  TV. 


^mfWf^f^^^^W^^^^^W^^fW^^^f^^ 


REMARKS  OK  TURXIXO  WHTCFI  TR 
MOVIXG  OK  A  CURVE. 


When  standing'  on  a  liorizontal  plane  with  the 
weight  of  the  body  on  the  four  legs  placed  per- 
pendicularly the  horse  cannot  slip.  He  can  slip 
when  the  legs  move  to  put  the  body  in  motion, 
as  Avhen  the  body  is  in  motion  it  is  thrown  for- 
ward by  the  legs  and  the  legs  by  their  movement 
become  oblique,  out  of  their  perpendicular,  and  in 
giving  the  impulsion  they  perform  an  oblique 
action  from  forward  to  backward. 

The  horse  is  more  likely  to  slip  in  turning 
than  when  going  straight  as  in  turning  he  must 
incline  the  centre  of  gravity    of  his    body    to   the 


ON   tlTpNINa  ""A 


side  to  which  he  is  turning  and  tlius  the  legs  be- 
come oblique  and  bent  outwards  besides  the  other 
inclination  that  they  have  from  forward  to  back- 
wards when  they  are  in  motion  on  a  straight  line. 
The  risk  of  slipping  is  greatly  increased  if  the  tur- 
ning is  on  an  incline  because  the  weight  of  the 
body  in  that  case  weighs  more  either  on  the  fore- 
legs or  on  the  hind-legs  and  thus  a  new  obliquity 
is  formed  to  be  added  to  the  two  others. 

When  turning  at  a  walking  pace,  as  there  is 
no  speed  nor  strain,  the  risk  of  slipping  is  small 
pi-ovided  the  ground  is  flat  and  not  very  smooth. 
If  the  siTOund  is  verv  smooth  it  is  easy  for  the 
horse  to  slip  even  in  turning  at  a  walking  pace 
and  more  so  if  there  should  be  an  incline  up  (u* 
down  and  most  of  all  to  the  outside. 

When  turning  at  a  trot  a  horse  is  apt  to  slip 
even  if  the  ground  is  not  very  smooth  as  turning 
at  a  trot  is  done  with  a  fast  movement  of  the  legs 
throwing  the  body  upwards  and  forwai-d  and  cau- 
sing at  the  same  time  the  body  to  bend  greatly 
to  the  inner  side  and  hence  the  legs  become  very 
oblique  sideways  and  outwards. 


332  ON    TXTRNING 


The  following  ways  of  turning  facilitate  slip- 
ping as  they  increase  the  oblique  position  of  the 
body  and  legs  —  When  the  horse  while  turning 
bends  his  neck  outwards.  —  While  trotting  at  a  fast 
pace.  —  If  turning  sharp.  —  Smooth  ground.  — 
Ground  which  instead  of  being  fiat  slopes  to  the 
side  opposite  to  which  the  horse  is  turning.  —  The 
bodv  of  the  rider  bent  forward.  —  To  give  lea- 
ning  on  the  reins  to  the  horse  Avhen  turning.  —  To 
draw  the  outer  rein  while  turning. 

To  make  it  possible  to  reduce  the  risk  of  slip- 
ping it  is  advisable  when  turning  to.  do  the  con- 
trary of  all  the  things  which  make  slipping  easier. 

—  To  take  away  from  the  horse  any  leaning  on 
the  hand  and  make  him  go  on  himself  in  good 
position  detached  from  the  hand  before  turning  and 
in  turning.  —  To  slacken  the  walk  and  the  trot 
and  make  him  trot  slowly  in  a  good  collected  po- 
sition before  turning  and  in  turning.  —  The  rider 
not  to  bend  his  body  forward,  but  rather  backward. 

—  While  turning,  to  draw  the  horse's  head  to  the 
side  to  which  it  is  intended  to  turn  by  short  pres- 
sures  of  the    rein  on  this  side,  but  not  with  any 


ON   TURNING  333 


leaning  on  the  hand.  —  If  tlie  incline  of  the  ground 
is  on  the  outer  side  to  eifect  a  counterpoise  to  the 
weight  of  the  horse' s  body  which,  in  order  to  turn, 
must  be  bent  inwards  thus  throwing  his  legs  in  an 
oblique  position  on  the  outside,  the  rider  must 
weigh  more  with  his  body  on  the  outer  side.  — 
Always  to  make  the  turning  as  wide  as  possible 
leading  the  horse  well  to  the  outer  side  before  tur- 
ning and  when  turning  continue  to  turn.  —  Usually 
Avhen  turning  people  keep  the  turning  narrow  at 
first  and  think  to  widen  the  turning  by  draAving 
the  horse  outwards  with  the  outer  rein.  B^  that 
thev  draw  his  head  and  neck  outside  and  his  bodv 
crossways  and  more  oblique  but  do  not  make  the 
turning  wider.  —  The  horse  should  have  been 
instructed  with  the  lounge  as  by  that  he  is  made 
pliant,  agile  and  stronger  and  learns  to  support 
more  quickly  tlie  centre  of  gravity'  of  his  body 
when  bent  forward,  backward  or  on  one  side  accor- 
ding to  the  actions  he  has  to  execute.  Thus  he 
avoids  slipping,  and  recovers  himself  more  readily 
if  he  should  slip.  —  xVfter  tlie  proper  instruction 
with  the  h)ungc  to  give  more  steugth  and  sta])ility 


334  ON    TURNING 


to  the  legs,  the  horse  should  be  exercised  in  walk- 
ing very  slowly  with  a  free  head  on  ascents  and 
descents,  on  unequal  ground  and  across  country. 


The    Km). 


Webster  Fart^^'V  ^'^^^'    '     ^  ^Aedicine  at 


